Fated To Be
by Magz2015
Summary: After having his heart broke by Astrid, Hiccup is sent to help a friend of his father's. But not only is he in for a shock when he meets Merida, but there is a female night fury too! What happens though when they get stranded on an island just the four of them? You are gonna have to read to find out what happens next :D
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This was inspired by the story "Restricted" by the FFNET author minichurros123

X

"Hey Astrid."

Turning with a smile, Astrid laughed. "Hey Hiccup."

Walking up to her, Hiccup leaned in and kissed her lips. "I am glad that you made it. There is something I wanted to ask you."

"What is that? Cause after that there is something I need to tell you."

Laughing as he took her hand and lead her down a small trail. "Well lets get down here and then I will ask you okay. But first you gotta see the surprise that I did."

With every word that he said, Astrid felt worse and worse about what she had to tell him. She didn't know how to stop it. When she tried to argue that she loved Hiccup, she was given the choice. Honor the agreement, or be disowned by everyone. She wouldn't even be allowed to have anything to do with her new little sister.

"Look up."

Looking up as she blinked, Astrid gasped. He had built a fire pit and seats into the sand. "Oh Hiccup you really shouldn't have done this."

"I wanted to surprise you. After the battle with Drago we haven't had much time to spend with each other. So I figured we would hang out here tonight." He led her down into the small ring that he dug out and sat down with her before the fire. Looking over seeing Storm Fly and Toothless already laying down in the sand. "They look like they are already enjoying themselves."

"Yeah."

Reaching in his pocket he pulled out the ring that his mother still had and gave him. And then with his dad talking about retiring and handing the title of Chief over to him now so he can enjoy the rest of his life with his mother. But it was also time, at least he thought, to see about taking their relationship to the next step.

Astrid just sat there and stared into the fire he had going. Next to him she should have been so warm and at peace. But with what she had to tell him tonight, she felt like she was nothing more than a shard of ice sitting next to him. 'Man this is going to be so hard to do tonight. After he did all of this and I have to break his heart.'

"Hey Astrid. I know this isn't exactly the way that it is supposed to be done. But, well I can't do something like mom and dad did. So I figured that doing it my way would be best. Right Storm Fly."

Looking up she gasped when Storm Fly was in her face, and the most beautiful ring she had ever seen sitting on her tooth. "Oh Hiccup."

Reaching out and taking the ring Hiccup smiled at her. "Mom gave it to me." He then reached over and took Astrid's hand as he looked up into her teary blue eyes. "Astrid I know we talked about getting married. But I want to formally ask you now. Astrid Hoffsteder. Will you marry me and become my wife?"

Astrid watched as Hiccup started to slide the ring on her finger and pulled back. "Hiccup, before you keep going I really need to tell you what I have to say."

Half laughing as he turned to face her with a curious look. "You can't answer me first?"

"I can't Hiccup."

"Can't answer why?"

Standing up and backing away from him as he stood she let tears fall down her eyes. "I can't do this Hiccup. I love you. I have for five years now. I want to see you happy but it can't be with me."

"What are you talking about Astrid?" Hiccup reached out and grabbed her as she tried to run away from him. "Why can't you be with me Astrid?"

"It is complicated Hiccup. Just don't make this harder on us than it has to be okay." She tried to pull free but couldn't. 'Stop it!'

"You tell me that you can't be with me right after you tell me you love me and you just think I am going to let you walk away!" Turning her to him, he hugged her to him around her waist. "You can at least give me a better explanation than that Astrid."

Jerking fully away from him she turned her back to him as she hugged herself and dropped her head. "I want to be with you Hiccup. I want to love you and be your wife. Build a life and a family together, but a contract that my parents signed when I was little is coming back to bite them and I can't get out of it unless I want to be disowned."

"What contract?"

Dropping her head with a shaky sigh she whipped tears from her face. "I was promised to someone. They betrothed me to someone else on the condition that he move to the island and we settle here and I stay close to them. They said they had hoped that he would forget about it, but he didn't and calling on it."

Moving to stand in front of her he grabbed her shoulders. "I am going to be the Chief of this village. If I don't want someone to stay here I can kick him out. And I know my dad would. Without him here he can't do it."

"Hiccup…"

"I am going to honor their contract Hiccup. My parents have already went to yours to tell them what is going on and that I will be telling you." She dropped her head. "I don't know it is an honor thing I guess. That is the way dad put it to me."

Letting go of her he took a step back as tears fell from his eyes. "So you are set on this? Just going to throw away six years with me for someone you don't know?"

"I can't help it Hiccup. I don't want to be disowned and never see my sister or parents again."

"I see. I understand." Dropping his head he picked up the bucket of water and threw it on the fire. "Well. I am guess I should have let you go first." He then put the ring in a pocket and headed for Toothless. "I hope you are happy with him Astrid. I really do."

"Hiccup!"

Stopping before he took off he just kept his back to her. "What?"

"I'm sorry. I really am I just have no choice."

Tears dripping onto his saddle he only nodded then Toothless flew. He couldn't stop them. Six years. Six! And now when he was going to become chief, and embrace it. Thought they could take their relationship to the next level formally. She drops this on him.

Being pulled from his trance by Toothless landing in front of his house he sighed as he slid off his back. "Come on. Lets just go on in." He opened the door and didn't even look up. He could feel the four sets of eyes on him as he headed straight up to his room. Her parents were still there.

Feeling his wife's hand on his arm he kept his glare at the Hoffsteders as his wife took off after their son. "You won't take it back? I gather your daughter is in just the same state he is. Or worse."

"We can't Stoic. It is hard to explain."

"Fine. You can leave now."

Nodding to their chief, they left and headed home. Both of their hearts breaking to see Astrid running in the house with a red face as she cried.

X

Opening her son's door she found him sitting in his window. No doubt starring at Astrid's house. "Hiccup….."

"I really don't want to talk about it mom. I know you are worried but I will be fine. I was reject by everyone for fifteen years. I can take it now. Just need some time."

Walking over to her son she hugged him from behind and sighed as she felt his tears drop on her arm. "If you need me. Or your father we are here to listen."

Nodding as she let go of him and then left, Hiccup waited till the door shut to fall to his floor and duck his head down to his knees as he cried. He couldn't believe it. Just as his life was looking so positive something like this has to happen. And she didn't even act like she wanted to try and fight for their love he thought they had.

Feeling a nose on him he turned and hugged Toothless's head as he tried to stop crying. "How are we going to get over them Toothless?"

But before the dragon could react both jerked their heads up when a huge bird flew in and hit the wall only to fall to the ground. Standing as he whipped his eyes Hiccup looked at it with an odd look. "What is that thing doing in here?"

Then he saw the note on its foot. "A messenger bird?" Reaching down he took the note the watched as it flew up to perch in the corner of the room.

Opening the note he looked down then his eyes went red when he read what it said. "This is bad. Come on bud."

Running down the stairs he nearly crashed into his father as he turned at the bottom. "Dad…"

"You okay? What was that crashing noise?"

"A messenger bird. Here."

Taking the note Stoic moved to stand by the fire as he opened it. His eyes popping clear out of his head when he saw who it was from. And getting wider as he read what was going on.

"Stoic,

I need yer help. I know ya have tamed dragons and ride them and train them. Please send me yer best dragon and rider fer a spell. I need them to help me find me daughter Merida. Someone had a dragon and took her! Please I need yer help!

Fergus"

Looking at him odd Valka blinked. "Stoic what is it? You look serious all of the sudden."

Feeling the eyes of his wife and son on him, Stoic turned to Hiccup. "You?"

"I need this right now dad. You know why."

Nodding he sighed. "Pack your things and get some sleep you leave in the morning. But I want you to take another dragon with you."

"Thanks dad."

Stoic turned to the frantic eyes of Valka and smiled. "You remember Fergus and Eleanor?"

"I do. We used to trade with them until the dragons started destroying the ships before they got back to Berk. What happened to them?"

"Their daughter went missing. Someone with a dragon."

Looking up the stairs as she heard the noise of Hiccup packing she sighed. "He does need this. But I want him to take….."

"We will let him pick the dragon. He needs one that he is comfortable taking Val."

Nodding as she leaned into his arms she let a few tears fall from her face. "He was telling me this morning when I gave him the ring you used to ask me to marry you after our song, how perfect his life was. He had a family. And a woman he would love forever. And now…."

"He is strong. He will work his way through this. You will see."


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Hiccup was getting Toothless ready to leave. The other dragon he was taking with him was his mom's dragon Cloud Jumper. He and Toothless got along and he listened to him as well as he did his mom. Which made her happy. Seeing as she saw the bond between him and Toothless, and knew Cloud Jumper personally.

But he wanted to get up and out of there before Astrid came out to take care of Storm Fly. Normally he would tell his dad to send someone else, but right now. He needed to put some space between himself and Astrid to clear his head.

"Hiccup."

Flinching at the sound of Astrid's voice he didn't even look behind him. "I am going somewhere to help someone dad knows. I don't know how long I will be gone."

Dropping her eyes she sighed as tears fell again. "Be careful."

"Yeah don't worry about me."

Walking out of the house with his wife, Stoic stopped and gave a glare to the girl behind his son before he walked over to his son. "You all ready to go then?"

"Yeah."

"Come on. I will walk with you out of the village."

With a nod Valka turned a rather stern face to Astrid. "I don't understand this contract deal. Your parents wouldn't really go into detail about it. Stoic offered to help them get out of it but they said no. I don't get it."

"It is complicated."

"Still." Valka then turned and looked at where her husband and son walked around a corner of a house. "I think it is best you just stay away from Hiccup for a while. Give him the space he needs to be able to heal and get over what happened last night."

Turning and heading back home she nodded. "Alright." But Astrid didn't know how she could. It was just routine, she spent the mornings, some afternoons and evenings with him. 'This is going to be harder than I thought.'

X

Stopping on the bluff Stoic sighed. "I sent his bird back explaining everything to him. The bird he sent can make the three day flighty on dragon in a day and a half. Even when it sleeps it keeps a straight course for home."

"That's cool."

Seeing the sadness in his eyes, Stoic closed his own. "I know Hiccup. I know the pain of losing someone. Though yours is different. But you will….."

"Get over it."

Turning his son to look into his green eyes he shook his head. "You will heal with time."

With a smile and eyes that reflected it Hiccup nodded. "Thanks dad."

"Hiccup."

Turning to catch his mother as she hugged him, Hiccup sighed. "I will be fine mom. I have an alpha dragon and Cloud Jumper."

Stepping away from her son she smiled as she gave him a nod. "Just make sure that you come back as you are. No extra missing parts."

With a small laugh Hiccup nodded. "Right. Well better get going." He then jumped on Toothless and without another word he was just gone. Once he was up in the air he fell backwards on toothless with a sigh. "I just don't understand guys. How she could tell me she loves me, not even fight for the love I thought we had and just walk away from me like that. After everything that we have been through."

The growl under him made him sigh. "Yeah I know. You got were close friends with Storm Fly." Sitting up and rubbing his head he smiled. "I need to just stay away from Astrid, even after we get back to the village, but you can still play with Storm Fly whenever you and her want to." When Toothless smiled and let his tongue fall out he had to laugh.

Another grumble next to him and he saw the worried eyes of Cloud Jumper. "Don't worry. Everything will be alright. Lets just get to the island we stop at first so I can get a fire going."

X

Jerking on her hands Merida looked around her. She was bound, gagged and locked inside something that was hard as steel. And what's more she was with a dragon! She kept herself plastered on the side of the thing she was in. But there was something in the dragon's eyes that told her that it wasn't the beast that everyone else thought.

Hearing the same crazy laugh outside she jumped and turned when a side of the contraption opened and there was someone laughing at her. With her gag she couldn't say anything to him but she did not hide the hate in her glare as she narrowed her eyes at him. 'What do ya want with me? Why me?'

Crossing his arms he smiled at the girl. "Awwww isn't this sweet. I hope your daddy does what I asked him to do. Giving up his kingdom and serving me. I will build an army of dragon riders. Then take revenge on Hiccup for what he did to my father."

Standing up she stomped her foot and glared at him as she tried harder to pull on the ropes that tied her hands behind her back. Merida was not going to just take his laying down! She had to get out and get back to her father and tell him to fight this guy. As far as she knew this red dragon was the only one that he had! And it seemed to have different moods itself! 'I need ta let him know!'

When the guy didn't say anything just shut the door she fell to her knees and closed her eyes. How did she get in this mess? What did anyone in her kingdom ever do to deserve this!? Until this one swooped in and took her, she had never seen a dragon before. Only heard stories about them from her father when he would go to visit his friend Stoic in the North.

Hearing the whimper behind her she jumped and turned. This dragon was such a deep red she looked almost brown. But whenever the sun would hit it, parts would shine a brilliant red color. Its Gold eyes standing out against its scales. When it moved she gasped and tried to scream from under the gag, but as she started to move it jumped and pinned her on her stomach. But what happened next shocked her.

Stopping her struggle, she felt as gently the dragon bit into the ties that bound her hands and released them then moved off of her and sat down. Standing up she undid the gag that she had and looked at the pleading eyes of the dragon. It was almost like it was saying it was sorry.

Slowly, on shaky legs she inched toward the dragon. "Ya didn't mean ta take me did ya boy." But when the dragon gave her a sideways cross look she smiled as she stood straight up. "Okay, did ya girl." When she smiled she moved closer and held her hand out. "I tell ya what. Ya make friends with me, and I will make sure ya get away from him."

Looking up at the girl with the red hair, the dragon blinked a moment. Then she reached out and touched her hand with her nose. She just wanted to be free. And she saw this as her only chance to be able to do that.

With a smile as she sat down next to the dragon, Merida laughed as she put her head in her lap. "Well I guess ya aint evil. But I know ya a girl. What can I call ya?" Stroking the top of her head she sighed as she thought about names. She didn't really know her personality. And from what she has seen the last week she has two different personalities.

Then she gasped as she looked down at her. "Embers." When she looked up at her she smiled. "How do ya like the name? Embers. Yer the colors of a smoldering fire." When she nodded and curled her head into her lap she smiled as she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. "Now we just need ta find a way outta here."

X

Sitting in the cave with Toothless behind him and Cloud Jumper on the other side of the fire Hiccup couldn't do anything but stare into the flames. Seeing Astrid in them every time he the flickered. Finally he sighed as he let his head fall back and he took a deep breath. "Damnit. I need to get her out of my head!"

"Hard to do huh."

Jerking up, Hiccup sighed as he waved his hand at Cloud Jumper when he saw Eret. "Hey Eret. So you heard huh?"

"Yeah. They made an announcement to the village his afternoon when he got there." Sitting down he dropped his head and crossed his arms. "I wanted to see how you are doing. It is a little awkward for me. Seeing as I owe you, Astrid and your dragons my life."

With a half-smile as he crossed his arms Hiccup sighed. "Well that won't change. That was why I asked my dad to send me on this mission for him. He is good friends with Fergus and his daughter is only a year younger than me. I figured that I would let Mom and Dad know when I got her home that I was going to stay for a while. If it is alright with Fergus."

"I see. So you weren't going to come straight back."

"No. I need some time. For six years Eret I spent at least a little of each day with Astrid. Even when we weren't with each other, we were. It is hard to explain." Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath he dropped his head. "I just can't see her with him right now. I don't think I could handle it."

"If it is any consolation for you, she looked miserable as she stood there with him." Eret crossed his arms. "I tried to talk to her, so did Snotlout, Ruff, Tuff and Fishlegs. But she just won't talk to anyone about it."

"All she told me was that it was some damn contract that she had to honor. Even though Dad told her parents he would get them out of it and dare anyone to do anything to someone of his village. They refused to let him since she said she would do it."

Though before Eret could say anything, all three dragons stood and growled looking out of the cave. Hiccup stood up and started to slowly walk toward the cave. "Toothless. Cloud Jumper you two stay here."

Eret gave a wave to his Deadly Nadder and nodded. "You too Trapper."

Giving him an odd look as they headed for the mouth of the cave Hiccup sighed. "Trapper really?"

"I don't think he likes it but yeah."

"You picked a girl. She probably don't like it because that is a horrible name and she is a girl after all."

Blinking as he glanced back at her he sighed then dropped his head. "No wonder. I was wondering where the mood swing would come from when I would say Trappyer."

Waving is hand as they reached the mouth of the cave he looked out and then went wide eyed. It was the ice dragon alpha that Drago had! But there was someone else on him! "Who is that?"

"Shouldn't we be more worried about our dragons?"

"No." Looking at him he narrowed his eyes. "Remember? Toothless is the alpha of all the dragons that live on Berk. Your dragon included. They won't leave his side." But then he turned to look at the guy sitting on the face of the dragon. "But I do want to know who that is."

Pulling out a looking glass, Eret looked again. Then he gasped as he dropped it making Hiccup jump to catch it. "It can't be him. It just can't be."

"Who? Do you know who that is? Tell me."

Nodding Eret turned wide terrified eyes to him. "That is Drago's son. Alpha. He was so obsessed with the alpha dragon there, that when his son was born, he named him Alpha. He has his father's way of controlling that beast too."

Looking out as he stood up and the dragon passed on by. "Well at least he is headed away from Berk." Then he glared as he gasped. "But he is headed right toward where I am going."

Turning and going back to his dragons, Hiccup pulled out a piece of paper and write a note to his mother on it. "Cloud Jumper I know that I promised mom I would take you with me. But I need to be able to move unseen for a while. I need you to make sure that she gets this. Her and Dad will know what to do."

"What do you want me to do Hiccup?"

Looking at Eret as he tied the note to Cloud Jumper's leg he narrowed his eyes. "Just do anything you can to make sure that my mom and dad get done what they need to get done."

"What are you going to do?"

"Toothless is much faster than that dragon, and Toothless is the reason why it only has one tusk. It shouldn't even let him know that Toothless is in the air." He then walked out of the cave and then looked at Eret's dragon. "How about Charcoal."

"Charcoal?" When he felt a nudge on him and saw the happy look on the dragon's face he laughed. "I think she likes it." He mounted his dragon and then gave Hiccup a stern look as he got on Toothless. "Just be careful. He is as ruthless as his father, and twice as mean."

"Right. You too." Then with that they both shot off two different directions. Hiccup the castle, Eret Berk. With a glare as he gave Toothless the gear he needed to really fly he gripped his saddle. "We can't have this again bud. I nearly lost you last time. I don't want to chance losing you or anyone else like that again."


	3. Chapter 3

Jerking awake, Stoic and Valka looked at each other as their eyes went wide. Jumping from the bed, Stoic rushed down the stairs and threw open the door to find Eret standing there. "Eret? What do you want in these wee hours of the morning?"

"I was told by…"

"Cloud Jumper!" Valka let her heart hit her stomach as she ran past Stoic to the dragon.

With a sigh, Eret looked back at Stoic. "After their announcement yesterday I wanted to go and check on Hiccup. It is odd for me since the two of them turned my life around with the dragons. While I was on the island, the alpha that Drago used, and his son went past."

"His son!"

"No!"

Turning and rushing to his wife, Stoic fell to his knees next to her. "What is it Val?" When she only held a note up he took it. "Did something happen to Hiccup Eret?"

"No. But Alpha and the dragon are headed in the same way that Hiccup is going. That was why he sent Cloud Jumper back with me and Charcoal. He took Toothless and flew on."

Looking at the note, Stoic didn't know what to do right now. Did he go after his son on Scull Crusher or did he trust his son and Toothless. 'What do I do now?'

"Mom, Dad,

Look don't be mad. You both know that I don't listen to reason half the time. If I did, I wouldn't have Toothless and mom wouldn't be home with us. But I sent Cloud Jumper back because I needed to go fast and he isn't as fast as Toothless is. Eret can tell you more about Alpha, Drago's son. But he was headed right for where I am going. I am going to try and get there in a roundabout way and let Fergus know what is going on. But I don't know how well that is going to work. Soon as I can I will get a message to you and let you know I am okay.

Love

Hiccup"

With a sigh as he stood up, Stoic held the note. "We won't chance anyone getting hurt." Turning Eret as he pulled his now sobbing wife into his arms, Stoic narrowed his eyes. "I want you, Ruff and Tuff, Fishlegs and Snotlout to step up patrol. If you see anything out of the ordinary you let me know right away."

"Yes sir."

"Now! Go wake them up and get them going!" Stoic then lifted his wife into his arms and carried her back in their house. "Don't worry Val. He has an alpha with him that won't back down to protect him, and he is our son after all. What was it you told me about him he has the heart of a what?"

Looking up at him with an odd look Valka then smiled. "He had the heart of a chief and the soul of a dragon. But that doesn't mean that I am not going to worry about him. If Drago's son can control the alpha like Drago did. That could be bad Stoic. We need to go…."

Shaking his head Stoic gripped her shoulders. "We need to have faith in our son. He was right. He never listens to anything. If he didn't, we wouldn't be friends with dragons. If he didn't, we wouldn't have you in our life again. Trust in Hiccup. He does have Toothless with him after all."

"You are right."

Hugging his wife, Stoic looked up at the ceiling as his eyes took on a worried look. 'You better come home Hiccup. You better come home.'

X

Feeling a nose pushing on the side of his face, Hiccup opened his eyes and blinked. "Hey Toothless. Time to leave already?" Sitting up Hiccup couldn't help but laugh at the dragon and how he jumped around and off of trees. "I swear to have your energy all the time." Standing with a stretch, Hiccup yawned. With the exception of one stop to eat, and now some sleep, they flew enough to cut their three day journey in half. He should arrive not long after Fergus' Falcon.

Packing his small pack he sighed when he reached in and felt something that clearly wasn't his. His eyes misted over with tears. As he pulled his hand out of the pack, there was a necklace that Astrid had given him with a carving of their initials in it. Sitting down with a sigh as he looked at it he closed his eyes. "I don't need this. Not something else to remind me of what I had and lost." He then tossed it into the fire as he kept packing.

Once he was all packed he turned and let his hand rub up Toothless' head. "Damnit this sucks. I hope Fergus will let us stay and hang out in this part of the country. Who knows. Maybe find some new dragons."

With a glare as he remembered Drago's son with the alpha that Toothless defeated to become alpha he kicked some dirt into the fire putting it out, threw his stuff in his pack and then got on Toothless. "Come on bud. Lets get going."

X

Pacing in his court yard, Fergus held the paper that came from Stoic. His son was coming with a couple of dragons to get his daughter back. He figured it would be at least another day and a half before they got there. But he couldn't just sit and twiddle his thumbs! "Damnit! I wish he would hurry up."

Holding her daughter's bow, and sitting under the tree that they planted the day she told him she was pregnant with Merida, Eleanor let tears fall. She knew her daughter would come back to her. She just knew that she would. But the fear of what she was going through right now was nearly too much for her to think about. "Fergus…"

But then both jerked their heads up when they heard a roar from the sky. Their coming toward them was a black dragon with half a red tail. His eyes lit up Fergus smiled. "That is him love! That is Stoic's boy!"

Hiccup sighed as he landed and slid from Toothless. When there was suddenly a guy in his face he blinked. "You are King Fergus then I take i?"

"You are Stoic's boy then right? Hiccup?"

Nodding as he stepped back when he let go of his shoulders Hiccup smiled as he looked at the glare Toothless had for him. "I am. It's okay bud. This is who we are here to see."

Looking up, Hiccup noticed the terrified woman peering over Fergus' shoulder. He figured that she must be his wife Eleanor. Then he realized that she was looking terrified at Toothless. Patting his head as his eyes took on their puppy look he smiled. "This is Toothless. He won't hurt anyone here so long as no one tries to hurt him or me."

Looking down at the dragon, Fergus gasped. It was the same exact type of dragon that took his little girl! But this one was different. It had wide, gentle eyes and seemed to trust the boy. Realizing he was starring he turned back to Hiccup. "Sorry boy. It is jist dat is da same kinda dragon that took me daughter away."

Gasping as his eyes went extra wide, Hiccup looked at him. "Wait exactly like him?"

"No." Timidly, Eleanor crept from around her husband. "Where yours is an ebony black with green eyes, the one that took my daughter was dark red with golden eyes. Like the colors of a fading fire that was nothing but embers."

He knew that it probably was showing like he was being disrespectful, but Hiccup couldn't help but smile as he laughed. "Oh my gosh that is great!" Feeling the eyes on him he sighed as he looked down at an equally excited Toothless. "The dragon that took your daughter then is called a Night Fury. Said to be the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. As of now, Toothless and the one who took your daughter are the only two known to exist. So this is double for me."

"Double?"

Nodding Hiccup let the hurt fly into and then pushed it right back out of his eyes. "Frankly, some things have happened at home, not with my parents, but others that make it hard to be home. I was hoping that once I found and returned your daughter that you would permit me to stay in the area for a while. If you would, taming down and training another Night Fury, especially if it is a girl would be a good thing for me and for him."

Nodding as he turned and headed for the palace, Fergus half smiled. "Ya bring me daughter home safe and sound and I will not only let ya stay in the area, ya will move in, boy you will be considered family and part of the royal line."

Following with Toothless Hiccup laughed. "I don't need all that. I was planning on spending my time seeing if there are dragons in this area anyway if you let me stay."

"Nonsense. Come. We will tell you what happened."

Looking back Eleanor saw the dragon getting ready to follow them in the castle and paled. "Could your dragon wait outside?"

"He lives in my house with him. If he can't come in then it would be better if we talked outside."

Turning to see how serious the boy was, Fergus laughed. "Oh Eleanor this be our daughter's only hope. Come boy, and dragon."

Walking on in with Toothless, Hiccup nodded. "Thank you. He likes to run a muck in my house, but in others he is respectful." He then looked around as he followed him through the castle. It was decorated much like the Great Hall on Berk. Some items that were clearly Viking, but others that he didn't know at all.

As they walked into a huge open hall with six thrones at the head he blinked. "Six thrones?"

Nodding Fergus headed for his chair. "My triplet boys, my wife, myself and then….." As he sat down he looked at the chair right next to his. "Me daughter."

Sitting down on the floor as Toothless laid behind him, Hiccup was serious now. "Night Furies and thrones aside. What happened the day that she was took?"

Fergus then glared as he fisted his hands. "She and I were hunting. She can be a tomboy. We was in da woods when out of nowhere it just swooped down and took her. A few days later a not came from someone named Alpha."

Flinching as he jumped to his feet, Hiccup had a hard glare himself. "What did the letter say?"

"That I was ta abandon my castle and my country and leave. Letting him take it over. Then me daughter would be returned."

Looking down at the glare in Toothless' eyes, Hiccup fisted his hands. "Don't believe a word he says about letting her go."

"You know him!?"

Looking up with the same glare in his eyes, Hiccup gave Eleanor a nod. "Not personally but in a roundabout way. His father tried to kill my father and myself. With Toothless' help we protected everyone in Berk, and Toothless defeated the alpha dragon that Drago had. Alpha is his son, named after the alpha dragon the great bewilderbeast."

Looking back down again he narrowed his eyes. "We killed his father, and Toothless became the alpha of Berk. Sending the bewilderbeast away. Stripping his title of alpha from him. He probably has plans to kill her anyway. She is alive now I would bet anything on. He wants to use her as a bargaining chip in a way."

"I won't let him run me off!"

"I wouldn't either but." Looking up at Fergus with a look that made the burly man gasp. "I would take your wife, children and everyone who lives in the castle and around it somewhere safe. Alpha was on his way this way with the bewilderbeast. It is an ice spitter. Where most dragons have a red fire, Toothless shoots blue flame, and the bewilderbeast ice. You wouldn't stand a chance against it unless Toothless is here. What does she look like?"

Shaking his head, Fergus sighed. This boy new dragons. It was clear. There was a safe place inside the mountain. "We will be in the mountain then when you get back. It will give the look like we left it." He then took a deep breath. "Merida. That is her name. She has red hair like me, and blue eyes. Ya can't miss her, her hair is always a wild mess."

"Right." Hiccup then looked up at the window, it was big enough. Getting on Toothless he looked at them. "What way did they go when they took her?"

"To the East." Fergus then gasped as the dragon was up and out the window in a blink of an eye. "Well I'll be."

Running to her husband, Eleanor grabbed his arm. "Do you really think that he can find her Fergus? And bring her home."

Pulling his wife into his arms, Stoic nodded as he sighed. "I do. I seen it in his eyes. He won't let anything happen ta our little girl. She will be safe."


	4. Chapter 4

Opening his green eyes, Hiccup stretched up and looked over at Toothless who seemed to be starring off into space. "What is it bud? You didn't wake me up before dawn to get going this morning." For the last five days he has done nothing but fly all day long, taking note of different things that he passed so that he could get them home after he found her. Staying on the sea since the bewilderbeast was a sea dwelling dragon. He was starting to think they moved her out of this country!

But when Toothless didn't move and just kept looking out over the edge of the cliff, Hiccup gave him an odd look as he walked up to stand next to him. "What are you starring at Toothless?" But when he looked down he glared. It was the bewilderbeast. That seemed to be doing everything it could not to look up at them. "Well it knows you are its alpha now."

But it was the sound of a scream of a girl that drew his attention to the cabins as he narrowed his eyes. "Well I wonder if that is her?" But what he saw made him gasp as his eyes went extra wide then narrowed. The bewilderbeast was controlling the other Night Fury. Dropping to his knees as he watched it pull her out of the shack he laid his hand on Toothless' head. "You are going to have to alpha that thing Toothless. That is the only way we are going to get down there to get her out without fighting it."

X

When Embers finally let her go, Merida was on her feet instantly as she turned back to her. Her eyes were slits now instead of the wide and gentle eyes she has seen for the last few days. "What is it girl? What is wrong….."

"She is under the control of the alpha."

Turning at the sound of the guy Merida gasped as she fell down on her backside when she saw the guy who had Embers take her, someone else but behind them was a dragon that made her castle look like it was nothing more than a toy for the boys, even with its missing tusk. "Oh man."

Laughing as he walked over and stood next to the Night Fury, Alpha smacked it on its head making it hit the ground and putting his foot on her head. "You may think you have made friends with her. But so long as that alpha is around. She doesn't even know who you are. And it is all thanks to him."

Glaring at him as she fisted her hands at her side, Merida was outraged. A couple of weeks with her and she knew she wanted to keep her if she could. Storming up to him, she was able to catch him off guard and slapped him across the face. "How can you do that to her!"

Turning a glare on her, Alpha backhanded her and sent her to the ground where she lay in an unconscious heap. "Put her in the smaller cage away from the dragon."

"Sir?"

Turning and looking at the bewilderbeast as he sent the Night Fury to her cage and Stench lifted the girl he glared. "It was the bond between Hiccup and that Night Fury of his that lead to the death of my father. And him missing his tusk. When that Night Fury is around, he isn't the alpha anymore, but instead that black beast is. If she bonds with her enough, it could be bad."

"So what are we going to do?"

Turning to see Alvin walking toward them he smiled. "About damn time you got here cousin. Did you do your part?"

"I did." He then looked at the pretty little girl in the other guys arms. "So that is the princess right?"

Walking over and placing the blade of his staff to the old mans neck, he glared at him. "Don't you touch her. I have the key that unlocks those cages. You won't be able to get anywhere near her so don't even try."

"I know. I know. We had a deal. I just didn't expect a princess with that kind of hair."

Moving away from him he glared. "You brought your dragons right?"

Nodding as he looked to the right and two of his own personal dragons came he smiled. He brought two Deadly Nadders. "I brought these two. I would have brought my Whispering Death. But when you said ya had a Night Fury I figured he would have to stay at home. He has a thing about Night Furys ya know."

"I know. I am counting on that hate for them to take Hiccup and Toothless down once and for all." He then turned and faced his cousin again. "I will be gone about two weeks. When I get back, I am hoping to have a horde of dragons that we can use. Ones those damn Berkiens know nothing about and won't be able to counter."

"But didn't you tell me that Toothless is an alpha now? Even if you go to Berk, if he blows the other tusk off that dragon, you will lose them too."

Laughing as he turned and looked at his cousin Alpha smiled a feral smile. "I have done my research. Fergus, that girl's father and Stoic are good friends. I knew if a dragon got her, then the one who would run to her 'rescue' would be Hiccup."

"I see. So without Hiccup there with that blasted dragon your dragon and its dragons will be able to just do anything they want."

"That's right. Now. We are going. Just make sure that you know your boundaries and keep those dragons of yours under control."

Glaring Alvin watched as his cousin and Stench got on the dragon and then they were gone into the sea. "I am not some stupid air head cousin." Alvin then turned and walked into the room just as the sun started to shine in the window. His nadders walking in behind him. One a bright blue, the other a dark green in color.

Looking over at the girl as she lay perfectly still he laughed. "I may not be able to really do anything. But I will do something." He then flopped down on the bed as his nadders lay down next to him. "But while she is out of it I guess I will get some sleep."

Just as his eyes started to close he opened when he heard a growl. It sounded just like Toothless when he was trying to protect Hiccup! Jumping up he pulled his sword but then saw that it was the red Night Fury! She was glaring at him as she pushed her tail through the bars and in front of the girl. It was like he was looking at Hiccup and Toothless! Laughing he dropped his sword to the floor and then laid back on the bed. "I was already told even your blasts can't get through those bars. You don't worry me."

X

Clenching and un clenching his fists Hiccup glared. "If Alvin is in this, then that means that they are planning on going to Berk. I just hope dad is ready and can hold out until we get back. Looks like we aren't going to get to stay away after all are we?"

Looking at him with a sympathetic look, Toothless sat down next to him as he whined. He knew what was going on in a way with him and Astrid. But he also knew that he would be alright. He just didn't like seeing him like this.

Standing and walking away from the cliff Hiccup waved his hand. "Come on bud. We are going to walk down and around. Give Alpha time to get away before you fight the nadders, and we get her back. We go in after it gets dark."

X

Slowly waking up, Merida blinked her eyes. The last thing she remembered was smacking the one who was responsible for her kidnapping. Then her eyes jerked wide when she realized that she couldn't move her hands! Looking around she found some new guy standing on the other side of the room. But Embers was gone!

Her eyes glaring she looked into his beady little eyes. "Where is she?!"

Laughing as he walked toward her Alvin smiled. "Outside. It was all I could do to get over there to get you in that position so I could chain your hands to the bars without dodging her blasts. You have made an impact on that dragon."

"I promised her that if she would just trust me that I would get her out of here." Her eyes narrowed as he stopped and she pushed herself to her feet, sliding her hands that were out stretched to the side up the bars with her. "What do you want?"

Slinking around at first then running to get behind her, Alvin grabbed a fist of her hair and pulled her head back against the bars. "Just to see how ya are shaped. Nothing more." He then reached his other hand in and let it sit on her hips as he laughed at the way she tried to struggle to get away from him. "I won't do nothing under the clothes. If Alpha knew I was doing this he would skin me. I think he plans on making you his wife."

"Good I can't wait to tell him! Get off me!" Merida glared at nothing as she watched as his hand slowly inched up her sides. 'Oh man! Not this!'

"Lets see how round….." But no sooner did he start speaking when he groaned and let go of her hair and fell to the floor. Just before he got to her breast.

"You sick bastard."

Jerking around to see someone else standing there Merida glared. "Who are you?"

"My name is Hiccup. Your dad sent me to get you. Come on we don't have much time." Hiccup used his sword with fire to break the chains that held her hands and then tried to slice the lock off. "Why won't it go off?"

Rushing to the door, after hearing the name Hiccup many times, Merida knew that this had to be him. She was going to get out of there. "They said it is made out of dragon skin. So that even Embers can't blast through it. We have to get her and take her with us! Please!"

"I won't leave her here in their hands. Fire won't get through this because of the dragon skin. But I know what will." Hiccup then left and came back in with a spike from one of the nadders. He jammed it in the key hole tearing through the dragon skin then picked up a hammer and gave it a couple of good whacks with it then it came open. "Easy as pie." He then threw the door open and pulled her out. "Wait here. Then we will go get her out. Just hold on." He then drug Alvin over and in where he dropped him. "Damn gutless swine." Shutting the door he opened part of his clothes and pulled out a piece of dragon skin. Tying a knot so he couldn't get out. "One down."

Merida watched as he then went to the other side of the shack. He was so sure of what he was doing, it was like he spent his entire life doing this. Running around rescuing people and dragons. But scream of a dragon drew her attention and she rushed for the door "Embers!"

Hiccup threw his sword stopping her and making her fall back on her bhind. "You don't want to go out there right now. Toothless is out there getting the nadders under control." He then turned and opened a closet. "Perfect. Merida come here."

"How do ya know my name?"

"Your dad. He told me your name and I could know it was you because of your hair. Come here." When she got to him with a glare and crossed arms he handed her the pants he found in there. "Take this and step in the closet and change. By then it should be safe to go outside."

"Into this! I don't know where it has been!" Merida shook the pants at him with a glare. "You expect me to put this on not knowing what has been crawling in it! No way!"

Shrugging as he haded for the door Hiccup half smiled. "That's fine with me. But don't blame me when everyone we fly over can look up and see everything. Dresses aren't really for flying."

Gasping she looked at him odd. "You mean fly? On Embers?"

"Yep. Don't worry it will be fine. Now do you wanna wear pants until we get you home so you can fly without showing your backside and everything else, or wear the dress? Doesn't really matter to me. Just thinking that pants would be practical."

Rolling her eyes as she looked down at the pants she glared. "Fine."

With a sigh Hiccup looked up to see the two nadders backing in with Toothless in all his alpha glory growling at them. Then he got an idea. The bars and the tie were made of dragon skin. "Hold on Toothless. You can put them in there with him." He then ran over and untied the skin holding the bars together and let toothless put them in and hold them there. Then he tied them, and using his sword with fire he drug skin together and let it fuse together. "That will hold them."

Hearing the gasp he turned with Toothless who let his blue fade and found a shocked girl standing there. But still in a dress. "I thought you were putting pants on?"

"I did. It is a black Embers….."

Laughing as he rubbed his head he shook his head. "No this is Toothless. The pants?"

Glaring she reached down and lifted her dress to reveal the pants that fit her nearly perfectly. "I told you I put them on." Then at the sound of Embers outside she ran past Hiccup and his dragon and fell to her knees next to the cage that Embers was in. "It is alright girl. We will get you out I promise." She looked up at Hiccup as he came up next to her with his dragon with worried eyes. "You can get her out right?"

Spinning the nadder spike he winked at her. "Of course I can." He then tried to stab the lock with it but the spike broke. "This must be stronger than normal dragon skin." Looking up as Toothless jumped up on the cage and started to glow blue he reached down and grabbed Merida's hand and pulled her backwards. "I think Toothless knows what to do."

Seeing how Embers was bowing her head she gasped. "That is what she does when Alpha is near!"

"Toothless is an alpha. So long as she can hear him, she won't do anything that he doesn't okay it. But most of all, he is the dominate alpha over the bewilderbeast. She won't snap anymore so long as Toothless is around." Looking down at her and the way that she smiled when he told her he couldn't help but smile. He knew one thing though. Her attitude and spirit reflected her hair. He saw that when she slapped Alpha.

Looking up as Toothless blasted the lock of the cage and broke it he let Merida run to the cage and open it, smiling as Toothless sidled up beside him with his goofy grin and the red Night Fury rolled around letting her pet her. "Well Toothless, I know what you would look like with a different color."

Looking up as she heard what he said, Merida smiled. "So they are the same kind of dragon?"

"Night Furies. According to most they are considered the Unholy Offspring of lightning and death itself. But in reality with a good rub under the chin they are nothing more than a lapdog."

"Where?"

"I will show you later. Here tie this around her neck to give you something to hold on. I will make you a saddle when we get back to your castle, but right now we just need to get out of here."

Merida caught the rope and nodded as she tied it around Embers' neck. "I told you I would take you with me didn't I girl." Once it was tied she looked over at where his legs were and then mounted Embers the same way. "This is much like how I sit when I ride Angus. Except he doesn't fly through the sky."

"Right. Ready?"

"Lets go."

The two of them shot up to the sky and circled out by an island. Brushing the treetops as they went. Just as they started to clime though sky, spikes shot up out of the mountain side.


	5. Chapter 5

With a small groan Merida blinked her eyes as she let her head roll to the side. "Oh me head." When she felt breath on her face she opened her eyes all the way to find Embers looking down at her with a toothless grin and worried eyes. "Embers?"

Laughing as she felt her nudge her face she reached up and rubbed her head. "How are ya?" As she started to sit up she grabbed her head. "Ow."

"I wouldn't move around too much right now if I were you. You took a hard hit to the head."

Looking to see Hiccup walk past her with an arm full of wood she blinked. "What happened?"

"Do you remember the spikes?" Hiccup dropped the wood next to the fire and started to add a few pieces one at a time. When she didn't say anything he looked over at her and half smiled. "Right as soon as we started to climb up in the air, spikes flew from the side of the mountain. One went through the edge of her wing and you started going down."

Jerking around Merida looked at Embers wing to see the small tear that was stitched. "You did that?"

Standing up as he crossed his arms he nodded. "I did. It will take at least a week for it to heal enough she will be able to fly a little at t time." Looking down at her he was serious. "You know this country better than I ever could. It took me five days flying all day long to find where you were at. I passed like six castles. Do you have any clue where we are at?"

Her eyes going wide she looked up at him with fear leaping into them. "You are sure that there were six castles ya passed?"

Reaching in his pocket he pulled out a piece of paper and looked at it. "Yes. I passed the sixth castle yesterday."

Dropping her head into her hands she sighed. "Oh man. At least we are on da island."

"Who are they?"

Looking up as he sat down next to her she put her hands in her lap. "They are the traps of the Dingwald Clan. They are ruthless and….." Dropping her head fully as she fisted her hands. "And have tried themselves several times to kidnap me."

"Why?"

"Because of a situation that happened between my mother and myself a couple of years ago. Ya see, being the princess I was expected to just do what I was told. I don't do that so well."

"I understand that. I don't think I have ever listened to my parents." Hiccup couldn't help but laugh at that one.

"Well a couple of years ago they wanted to set my betrothal. They wanted to arrange a marriage to a complete stranger and I just wasn't ready. It worked out in the end. I wasn't forced into an engagement with any of them. The McEntosh and McDuffin weren't happy about it but they understood what was going on and we have stayed peaceful with them. But the Dingwald Clan that was different. They swore that they would not stop until they had me."

Letting a few tears fall she blinked her eyes. "On of me brothers lost a few fingers in an attack to try to get me last time." Shaking she shut her eyes as tightly as she could. "I just…."

"Don't have anything to worry about from now on." Hiccup smiled at her shocked look and sighed when he saw her tears. "For one while I am here I won't let them get you. And for two, even after I go home, you got her now."

Looking over to see Embers jumping around and playing like a child with Toothless she smiled as she stopped shaking and relaxed. "That is true."

With a smile as he stood up and walked over to Toothless as he got on him. "Once you earn their loyalty they will never leave your side. From the way she has been since you were knocked out, you have already earned that with her."

Laughing as Embers jumped over and sat next to her she looked back at Hiccup with an odd look. "Where are you going?"

"Fishing. Or are you alright going a week without food?"

Crossing her arms she glared at him. "You know ya don't have to be so sarcastic."

Laughing as he held his saddle, Hiccup nodded. "Yes I do. It is just me."

Shaking her head as he flew off into the air she reached over and rubbed the top of Embers head she glared after him. "This is gonna be an interesting week huh Embers."

X

That evening, after they ate, Merida was wide eyed as she watched as Hiccup showed her how to take care of Embers wing. He seemed to know so much about dragons. She had heard her father talk about how a friend of his had tamed dragons. But seeing as Embers was the first ever dragon that she had ever seen, she didn't know what all kinds there were.

"And that is it. We just have to make sure it stays clean and tighten the stitches as she heals. The Night Fury wing will heal fast. And being on the very edge and not that bad. It shouldn't take long. Like I said about a week."

Going and rubbing each side of her head Merida smiled. "Ya hear that. In about a week we can fly outta here and go home. Mum won't be happy but dad will let ya stay. You can even sleep in my room."

Laughing as Toothless came up and sat next to him he laid his hand on his head. It was nice getting to see another Night Fury. And seeing how enchanted Merida was by her was a double plus. A nudge on his arm and he looked down at Toothless who had worried eyes as he looked over at Embers and then back up to him. "Don't worry bud. Now that we know there are more, we will be coming to visit with them a lot okay."

Looking up as Embers ran off to romp and play with Toothless she giggled. "They do seem to really like each other."

"Yeah. But it is a good thing. As far as I know she is the only other Night Fury that he has ever seen. And they are both young still too."

Sitting down by the fire she watched as he walked over and sat down on the other side and put some more wood in the fire. "How do ya know how old they are?"

"My mom showed me." He turned and smiled. "Hey you two come here." When both got to them, Embers by Merida and Toothless by him, he pushed his head up. "See how he has four tips here that are all the same size. And right here a nub of one starting. Each tip here grows every five years. We are both twenty."

Looking under Embers she smiled. "So she has three that are the same and one that is just a little shorter than them."

Moving over to show her the scales on them he nodded. "She is eighteen. See look here. Five sets of scales on each of the these three. Three here. Five, ten, fifteen, and then three makes eighteen."

Laughing as she hugged her she smiled. "That means like you she is the same exact age I am."

"Yeah I guess so."

Sitting back over on the other side of the fire and leaning on Toothless he sighed. "Though I do hope it doesn't take more than a week to get her wing healed. So we can get you two home and I can get back to Berk as soon as possible."

Looking up at him with an odd look, Merida blinked. "Berk? Is that where yer from?"

"Yeah. It hasn't always been a bed of roses. But it is home and without Toothless there to lead the other dragons on Berk, the bewilderbeast will be able to take control of them without problem." But when he saw the look in her eyes he arched his eyebrow. "What?"

"That one you call Alpha. He told me that he is doing what he is doing to me because he wants revenge for his father. Revenge on Berk."

His eyes narrowed, Hiccup closed his fist over his knee. "Then the sooner we get you home so we can get home the better. That bewilderbeast was beat by Toothless at one point. That is how Toothless became an alpha dragon. Without him Berk is helpless."

"I want to go with you."

Looking up at her with shocked eyes he blinked. "Wait what?"

Hardening her own eyes, "Mum and dad will get over it. I will argue that you helped me now I am going to help you. I am going with you."

"This isn't exactly a walk in the park you know. I don't think…."

Crossing her arms as she narrowed her eyes she glared harder. "Had they not had dragons, just me father and me could have handled ten times as much. I may be a princess but I wasn't raised like it. Me mum wanted me to be raised all proper like. But every chance he got me dad would let me do whatever I wanted. I can fight with a sword, and I never miss my mark with my bow and arrow."

Dropping his head he sighed. "You aren't just going to listen to reason are you?"

"I never do."

"Fine. You get your mom and dad to let you go without threatening my life and I won't fight it. I learned the hard way. Don't argue with women. You lose every time."

Laughing as she smiled and gave a nod to him she then turned and winked at embers. "Then we are going to Berk too."


	6. Chapter 6

"Eleanor! Where are you love!?" Fergus climbed over the half destroyed castle with frantic eyes. He had to find her and the boys! "Boys! Eleanor!"

Pushing over rocks and tripping with his peg leg he tried to make his way by memory toward the last place that he saw them going. They just had to be alive. They had to be!

"Fergus!"

Hearing his wife's voice he stopped and froze. "Where are ya!?" Then gasped when he heard a tapping noise. Following it he pushed rocks and stone and statues out of the way until he reached the door behind the thrones! It was a safe room added on when Merida was born! "Eleanor!"

"In here!"

"The boys?"

"They are in here too. We are fine just need out."

"Stand back." Fergus then turned to his men. "They are over here! Help me move this damned stone bear out the way ta get em out!" Joined by at least then of his men, they were able to push what was a stone pillar away from the door. The second he opened it he caught his wife and three boys in his arms with a relieved sigh. "Thank God you are all alright."

On her feet again, with tears gushing from her eyes, Eleanor looked around. "Our home."

"We can fix the home. However, right now we need to leave."

Grabbing his arm as he turned to walk off her eyes were frantic. "What about when Hiccup brings Merida back to us? If we are not here she will think we….."

"Leave her a message. Somehow. We are going to Stoic. It is the only place I know fer sure that we can be safe if that damn dragon attacks." He then turned and put his hands on his wife's shoulders. "You know yer girl as well as anyone. Think of a way ta let her know we are alright and where we are. Right?"

"Right."

Eleanore watched her son and children walk off and started to go over all the things that she could do as she paced back and forth. She had to figure something out. But she didn't know how to do it. Looking up, she gasped as floating down toward her was the repaired tapestry. The one she had been making for her betrothal since the day she was born!

Reaching up and catching it she let even more tears fall as she half smiled. "She will notice this right off the bat." She then set to work finding a long stick and string. Once she had it fastened to the stick she carefully carved in a code. Once she was done she smiled. "We have gone to the island where on wings you touch the clouds."

"What is that love?"

Standing up as she looked at her husband she whipped her eyes. "I am sure that Merida and Hiccup will figure out we are talking about Berk with this."

"Alright I see." He then glanced down toward the sea. "It is time to go now. There was one ship that didn't get any damage."

"Alright. Stick this somewhere high?"

Both Fergus and Eleanor smiled as the boys grabbed it and climbed up to the highest point they could reach through the rubble and stuck it in the stones. Waving in the air like a flag. "I hope that she is safe. I hate leaving."

"That boy will keep her safe. I saw it in his eyes. He won't let anything happen to her. Now I am going my job as your husband and their father. Keeping the four of you safe until we are all home safe and sound together."

"Right."

X

Hiccup smiled as he checked Embers' wing. "Healing nicely. Four days and it is healing faster than I thought it would. It keeps this up, three days from now we will for sure be able to fly with it fully healed."

"Good."

Looking up at her, Hiccup blinked. She woke up last night scared to death having a panic attack. Said she just felt like something bad happened at home. "You alright?"

Pacing back and forth as she wrung her fingers together she bit her lip. "I don't know. I am telling you I got a bad feeling. That something bad happened at home. I don't want to rush her healing and hurt her. But I wanna get home and see fer myself that everything is fine."

With a sigh, Hiccup half smiled. She needed a distraction and he knew how to give it to her. Without saying a word he winked at Toothless and Embers who both nodded as he walked toward her, grabbing her arm as he passed her. "Come on. You need something to get your mind off things."

"Like walking will help."

"Not walking itself but where we are going." Looking back at her he smiled. "I take Toothless up and fly around the part of the island we are on, making sure no more spikes and to keep him happy right?"

"Yeah."

"Well I saw something that you might like to see in the sea today."

"My father's ship?"

"Sea dragons." Hiccup then stopped and stopped her at the cliff above the camp and pointed down to where Scauldrons were swimming past. Laughing as her eyes went wide and lit up to see them. "They are called scauldrons. There was a guy that lived on Berk named Mildew. He hated the dragons with a passion even after we all made friends with them. He got a flower and brought it to Berk and the pollen from the flower made all the dragons even Toothless sick. The only way to cure it is to get the venom of one of those."

On her knees now as she looked over the edge of the cliff she was all smiles. "So they are like a poisonous snake then?"

"Yeah. We made mildew come with us, and he had a flower on his butt. Those things eat the flowers he got, they love them. And when it went after the flower it left venom in him." He laughed as he crossed his arms. "Poor Gober had to be the one to get the venom out of his rear to help the dragons. But not only are those poisonous but they don't spit fire like most other dragons do. They are Tidal Class Sea Dragons. When they 'spit fire' it actually comes out as scolding hot water."

"Wow." Sitting back on her feet she looked up at him with a half-smile. "You seem to know everything about dragons. How many different kinds are there?"

With a sigh as he sat next to her, Hiccup kept his eyes out on the sea. "We don't know how many different types of dragons there are. Between me and my mom we got them all covered."

"That sounds wonderful." Falling back to lay in the grass she giggled. "I can't wait ta get to yer island. See all the different dragons." She then looked up at him as she saw the same haunted look in his eyes whenever they talked about his home. Sitting up she looked at him with concerned eyes. "What happened Hiccup?"

Looking at her with an odd look he blinked his eyes. "What? Nothing happened?"

Crossing her arms she half glared at him. "I mean why is it whenever ya talk about yer home you look like someone died. What happened?"

Dropping his head he let out a long sigh. "I really don't want to talk about it. It is a long story and still fresh. I just don't…."

Moving to sit in front of him she glared at him as she smacked his leg. "Don't give me that."

"What?"

Dropping her eyes she sighed. "I know what it is like to have something that hurts. And not talk about it and I nearly learned the hard way that ya can't do that. Ya have to talk. Whether it is to that person or someone else ya have ta talk about it."

Dropping his head again Hiccup sighed. "Let me guess. Just like with going to fight in Berk with me you aren't going to drop it are you?"

"Not a chance."

With a sigh as he laid back on the grass he watched the clouds roll past. "Well. Where do I start? From birth to fifteen I was the social outcast. The screw up. The reject. Then after I made friends with Toothless, and Astrid everything start to turn around for me. Everyone knew who I was. And not for what I broke or who I almost killed. But for using dragons to save the village."

"That doesn't sound so bad."

"The entire time that happened I never knew anything more about my mother other than she was taken away by dragons and her name was Valka." Closing his eyes he took a deep breath and let it out. "But from the time I was fifteen till I was twenty, things were nearly perfect for me. Astrid was my childhood crush. I got Astrid. With her and Storm Fly, her dragon, and the acceptance and acknowledgment of my father my life was finally perfect for me. Last year, we fought with Alpha's father. We won. Toothless becoming the alpha of Berk. Killing Drago. In that time Astrid was there with me when I found my mother and she and my dad made up and she came home. Right after that Astrid and I were planning on getting married."

He then sat up and dropped his head as he clenched fists. "Little over a week ago. The day before I left to come here, so it was exactly eleven days ago I got my mom's ring and was going to ask her to marry me properly. And she told me she was leaving me because of some betrothal contract that her parents signed. I tried to tell her she didn't have to do it, my dad wouldn't let someone do that. She said she was going to honor it." Looking over at her with her downcast eyes and the few drips of tears from his eyes he half smiled. "I jumped on the chance to come out here and help Fergus find you. Even planned on staying around for a while until I felt like I could look at her and not fall apart."

But then he was shocked and his eyes went wide when she jumped up and rushed to him and hugged him from the side. "Merida?"

With a sigh as she let go of him and sat down next to him she kept her eyes down. "I know how that feels. It wasn't exactly like yours. But there was someone once when I was sixteen, not long after the situation with my mum there was a boy that worked in the castle. I thought it was love, but he wanted nothing more than to use me to steal from me father. When I figured it out and confronted him he laughed and told me how hideous I was then fled into the night."

With a small laugh he pulled shocked dazzling blue eyes up to his forest green ones. They were beautiful. Though Astrid also had blue eyes, hers were different. He saw something different in her eyes than Astrid's. "Trust me you are not hideous Merida. Let's get back down to the dragons alright?"

"Right." Merida was following him down the hill with sad eyes. She knew how he felt. But then she looked up and gasped. "Hiccup watch out for the sna….." Then she let out a scream when the snake stuck out and bit him on his foot, and not the fake one either making him tumble down the hill. "Hiccup!"


	7. Chapter 7

"Dragons!"

Looking up from where he stood, Fergus narrowed his eyes as one dragon started to come down at them. "No one fire yet. They could be from Stoic's island." When the girl on the rainbow colored dragon landed on the edge of the ship Fergus kept a glare. "Can I help you?"

Astrid had a glare. She hated her life right now and she was forced to go on patrol with the bastard that ruined her life. "We came to ask you the same thing. Who are you and why are you headed in the direction of Berk?"

With a sigh Fergus smiled as he relaxed. "Well I am Fergus of DunBroch. Head of the Clan and old friends with Stoic. We are headed there since our castle was destroyed."

"Fergus?" Astrid then gasped as her eyes went wide. "Wait! It was your daughter that Hiccup went to go help wasn't it?!"

"Indeed. Though he had not returned when we left. We left a message, but the ice dragon nearly killed the rest of me family. I wasn't going to risk them so I loaded them up an came." Hearing the footsteps behind him he smiled. "Me wife Eleanor, and me boys."

With a smile as she nodded Astrid relaxed, but then grew worried. "Have you heard anything form him?"

"No. He was only gone a few days before it happened."

With sad eyes going down she sighed then she gave them a sharp nod. "Don't worry. Hiccup will get her and figure out where you went and bring her here safe and sound. I know it."

"Good. Will you go let Stoic…."

"Sure thing." Astrid smiled as she flew up then took off headed for the island. Only to glare as Spider caught up to her. She hated the name almost as much as she hated the man that had it. "What do you want Spider?"

"So who are they ?"

"Friends. IT is Fergus and his wife. The ones that Hiccup went to help. An ice dragon attacked them and then they came here so nothing would happen to the family. They still had no word from Hiccup before they left."

"You know you might as well forget about that fool Astrid. You won't have him again."

"Go to hell you bastard." Then she pushed Storm Fly faster to get away from him. She knew that even if she did run back to Hiccup that she probably destroyed all trust he had in her. But she wasn't going to let anyone bad mouth him. Not at all.

When the island came into view she sighed as Storm Fly went right for Hiccup's house. Sliding off she ran to the door and knocked. "I hope they are home."

When the door opened and she found Stoic standing there she looked up into his eyes. "There is a ship coming. It is Fergus and his wife and boys. And a lot of villager people it looks like."

"Hiccup?"

Shaking her head as she lowered her eyes Astrid sighed. "He said when the dragon attacked the castle, Hiccup had done been there and left a few days before that. They had not heard anything from him at all before it happened and he left to come here."

Walking on past her, Stoic sighed. He had to make plans and get the great hall ready for the guests. And he didn't have time for Astrid's pity. Something she seemed to want from everyone since the night she tore his son's world apart.

Dropping her head as she sighed, Astrid headed for her house but stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning she found Valka standing there. "What is it Valka?"

"Walk with me. I need to have a talk with you Astrid."

Blinking she nodded as both Storm Fly and Cloud Jumper followed them out of the village. "You know how badly you hurt him right?"

Dropping her head Astrid nodded. "More than I hurt myself."

"Did you ever love Hiccup?"

"More than anything in the world!" Astrid was now glaring up at her. She wasn't the first to ask her that and it was staring to get annoying. No one understood and no one needed to know the true reasons behind her doing what she did.

"Then let me ask you why you didn't fight for him when you had the change. Stoic and I would have helped you and Hiccup get rid of Spider and keep you and him together. Happy and safe forever. But you chose not to fight it."

"You don't understand. Hell I don't understand it fully. All I know is that my mom and dad were scared to death and everything centered around my little sister. I had to Valka. I love Hiccup more than life itself. But I love my little sister just as much."

"So you don't even know exactly what is in that contract you are just going with it?"

Nodding as she dropped her head and hugged herself, Astrid closed her eyes. "That's about it. They won't tell me either. I don't know why. Everything is a big mess right now."

"I see." Valka turned and looked out over the ocean with a sigh. "I am asking you this. Woman to woman Astrid. When he gets home. Just stay away from him."

"What?"

"You have to give him time to heal and time to get over the pain that you caused. Seeing you daily, knowing how much he loved you and that you are going to walk away from him and go to another man will kill him. I don't care how much you say you hate that other man or not." Turning serious eyes as she headed back toward the village, Valka made it clear that it really wasn't a request. She was to stay away from Hiccup.

As tears fell from her eyes, Astrid laid a hand on Storm Fly. "What am I going to do Storm Fly? It is like the entire village has turned against me."

"Poor little thing."

Turning a glare on Spider she reached out and slapped him. "This is all your fault. You damn bastard."

X

Greeting his friend with a hug Fergus sighed. "I am sorry I couldn't bring yer boy Stoic."

Laughing as Valka joined him, Stoic smiled. "Don't worry about him. So long as he has that Night Fury with him he will be just fine. And so will your daughter when he finds her."

"I have no doubt about that. The look in yer boys eyes reminded me of us as kids."

"Really?"

Nodding as Eleanor came up next to him and his boys on the other side. "Well Stoic. I believe introductions are in order. This is me wife and love of my life, Eleanor." He then looked down at the boys. "These are my boys. Wee devils at times, but good boys at heart. Left ta right there is Hamish, Hubert, and Harris."

"Nice to meet you all. Come. We have made a place for your family to stay with us. And your people in the our Great Hall. You are all welcome to stay however long you want or need."

"Thank you Stoic." But out of reflex just like the day Merida was taken, when they heard the call of a dragon they both tensed. The boys got between them, and Eleanor was terrified as she looked around her.

Blinking Valka then looked up to see Cloud Jumper landing behind her. She smiled as she reached out and laid her hand on his head. "It is alright. This is Cloud Jumper. He won't, nor will any other dragon here on Berk hurt anyone." She turned to see the three blue eyes of the boys filled with wonder and fear.

Dropping down to their level she smiled. "How about I take the three of you to go see our babies? We have many of them."

All three boys looked up to their father who smiled with a nod then followed after the woman. They wanted to run and see what they could get into, but right now wasn't the time.

Stoic saw the worry on the woman's face and smiled. "Don't you worry. They will be fine. Come. I will show everyone to the great hall, and then we will go to my home."

"Right." Stoic lead his still shaky wife and people through the village. Looking over at his longtime friend he arched an eyebrow. "Are there no other dragons here like yer boys?"

Shaking his head with a smile, Stoic looked around. "Nope. As far as we can tell Toothless is the only Night Fury left."

"Not the only one."

Jerking around to look at him just as they got to the great hall he blinked. "What do you mean?"

Waving his people on into the great hall Fergus was serious now. "The dragon that took my daughter was exactly like the one your boy rode. But it was red, like the glowing red of embers in a fire. And slits for eyes."

"I see." With a sigh and a smile, Stoic crossed his arms. "If that is the case, then you really have nothing to worry about. If anyone can tame down a night fury or get around it, that will be my Hiccup."

"That is good to know."

Once everyone was settled in, Stoic met Valka and the boys at their home, and laughed at the pale face their mother had to see that each of them held a baby dragon. One had a monstrous nightmare, one had a deadly nadder, and one had a baby stormcutter.

Laughing as he showed them all in he shook his head. "Sorry Fergus but your wife is gonna have to get used to dragons while you're here."

"I know. Thanks for putting us up Stoic."

"What are friends fore."


	8. Chapter 8

With a groan Hiccup slowly opened his eyes as he let his head roll to the side. "What happened?"

"Hiccup!"

Looking to the side as he sat himself up, Hiccup gasped as he was flattened on the ground again by Merida. Blinking for a second he registered that she was crying. "Merida?"

After a moment she let go of him and sat next to him as she tried to compose herself. He has been out for four days now and she didn't know what to do to wake him up. "You have been out for four days. I was starting to worry that you were never going to wake up. I tried everything I could think off. But nothing worked."

Looking at her Hiccup sighed and reached out and pulled her into his arms pulling a gasp from her. He sighed as he held her to him for a moment. "I am sorry Merida. I didn't mean to scare you like that. I got a headache but I promise I am fine." Easing her back out of his arms he tapped the bottom of her chin with a knuckle of a curled finger. "Don't worry I promise I am fine okay?"

"Alright."

Standing up slowly with her help he did let out a long sigh. "But that does set us back a few days. Not being able to put the medicine on Embers' wing."

Smiling as she put her hands behind her back Merida laughed and pulled his beautiful eyes back toward her. "Nope. I watched ya every time ya did it and I have done it. It looks like it is all healed up, but I figured you would know for sure."

"Really?"

Nodding she smiled as she turned to Embers who held her wing out with a bright smile and her tongue hanging out. "See."

Reaching out and running his finger on the wing he smiled. Looking at it from underneath he nodded. "I think you are right. I think she is ready to fly again and not have to worry about hurting it more."

"Really!?"

Laughing as Toothless came up next to him and pushed his head under his arm. "That's right. Whenever you are ready my lady."

Pushing him she crossed her arms. "I won't have none of that. Got it?"

"I am sorry. But we really do need to get going. If we fly hard until dark, we will reach your castle in three days. Shaving two days off."

"Right!" Merida then gasped as she dropped her head. "But we don't have a rope to put around her anymore. I won't have anything to hold onto."

Looking around Hiccup thought for a second then snapped his fingers as he went to Toothless and flipped a latch on his saddle. "Since Toothless depends on me for flying, I make sure to keep extra straps for his saddle in his. We can use one of those to give you something to hold onto. And when we get to your castle I will whip you up a quick saddle for her.

Merida watched as he pulled out a leather strap and fastened it around Embers neck then turned and threw her arms around her. She was so glad that she made friends with her. And that she didn't take off the first chance she got too. She would have let her but she was so happy that she didn't do it. She then flipped around and climbed on and sighed. "I am ready."

Looking up as he climbed on Toothless and flipped his tail into position he nodded. "Then let's go." And then they were off. Soaring up through the air as fast as lightning. Once up in the air and flying straight, Merida was wide eyed as they flew through the clouds. Reaching out with a single hand she let her hand slice through one of them and then giggled. "They really are softer than anything."

"That they are."

Looking at him and the hurt look she sighed and dropped her head. This must have been something that he did with Astrid at least once. "I didn't mean to bring up hurt feelings again."

"Don't worry. It hurts, but not as bad as I thought it would anymore." Laughing he rubbed the back of his neck as he sighed and looked up. "It is strange but I thought it would take me a lifetime before it didn't hurt like a knife to the heart every time I thought about her. But oddly it doesn't. I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing."

"Time will tell I guess." She then smiled at him. "Have ya ever thought about making a tail that he controls on his own for him?"

Nodding as he patted Toothless on his head, Hiccup laughed. "I have actually. And I have done it. Every year there is a mating season for dragons. So if she just takes off and is gone for a few weeks in the spring it is alright. They will come back, they just all meet up to breed and then after the babies can fly they come back. Well six years ago, Toothless couldn't fly on his own and it was the first time we went through it. I felt sorry for him, so I made him a tail that he could fly on his own. He left and was gone for a week. But when he came back, I tried to ride him without this tail, telling him he didn't need it anymore. He smashed the one that gave him the freedom he had, just so he would be connected with me."

"Just shows how much he trusts ya." Merida then laid over and laid her head on Embers' head. "I hoped that I could make friends with her when I realized she wasn't the vicious dragon she was when that Alpha was around. I didn't know why but when she wasn't being controlled I could see she was kind and gentle."

"Most dragons would rather run from humans than attack them. Those that do are either being told too by a king or queen of the nest, or something is wrong with them."

"I am just glad that she let me make friends with her. And I promised her. And I will keep it."

With a smile as he watched her, Hiccup knew that the reason why he wasn't as heartbroken over Astrid was because of her. Though he didn't know if it was cause she was such a sweet person, or because anyone who could make him forget about Astrid would be welcome right now. Or something more, so he wasn't going to say anything.

But then what she said sank in. "What do you mean you promised her?"

Patting her head as she giggled Merida looked down into her golden eyes. "I promised her that if she helped me get away from them. I would always look after and keep her safe. I don't know how I got her to be my friend so fast. But I am happy I did."

"You showed her absolute trust in her."

"Of course I did."

Laughing Hiccup shook his head. "That was why. When you show a dragon you trust them absolutely, they can't help but bond to you. "

"I see. Well I do. I trust her with my very life." Then she giggled as Embers let out a roar and let her tongue hang out .

X

Landing well after dark, Merida stretched as she slid off of Embers. She has never even rode Angus as long as she flew on her today. But the good thing was, pointing out different landmarks she knew they were well out of Dingwald territory. Looking over at Hiccup she sighed. "Do you think before we leave ta head to yer island you could make me one of those saddles you got for him?"

With a laugh he nodded as he himself stretched. "I can do that. Right now we need a fire going." He then pulled his sword and lit it with fire as he walked over and pulled some bark and limbs off of a tree. Looking at Merida odd when she came over helping. "Thanks."

With a laugh she looked up at him and rolled her eyes. "Well I am not your typical princess. Me father and I do this sort of stuff all the time."

"Really? And I take it your mom doesn't like it?"

Following him back to where the dragons were she dropped it next to him as he piled it up. "Nope. She can't stand it. I am a Lady she says. I need ta act like one. But I just want to be me."

Stepping back and smiling as Toothless lit the wood on fire he sighed as he sat next to him. "I can understand that. For years growing up, well all the way until I was fifteen I wanted to learn how to kill a dragon. At the time, we were raided almost nightly and I wanted to help. But when given the chance to kill Toothless I totally bailed. It wasn't who I was. And trying to convince an entire village and my father of that was rather hard to do. So I know what you are talking about with your mother."

With a nod Merida sat down next to him and smiled as Embers laid next to her and put her head in her lap as she leaned back and over a little on Hiccup. "I just hope that this doesn't make mum dig her heals in and barricade me in the castle."

"I think once she sees that you are fine and you are home again she will see she doesn't have to worry about it. And especially how protective Embers is of you, she won't have to worry."

With a sigh, Merida felt her eyes starting to close as sleep claimed her. She had never been so tired as she was now. Methodically she patted Embers on the head as she slipped into sleep. Not realizing that she let her head fall over on Hiccup's shoulder as she did so.

Hiccup sighed as he closed his eyes and scratched Toothless under his chin and looked at the woman next to him. "What am I going to do Toothless?" He knew he was falling for her. But at the same time it didn't feel right. Not after having just been forced out of a six year relationship with Astrid whom he thought he would love forever. it didn't feel right but at the same time it did. With a sigh he laid his head back on the log, and let sleep claim him. He would figure it all out later on.


	9. Chapter 9

As each landmark passed as they flew, Merida was more and more excited. She was going to see her castle come into view on the horizon any time now. She was getting closer and closer. A glance over at Hiccup and she sighed. She would at least be able to talk to her mother about him. Getting her to let her keep a dragon a different story.

Turning back to the horizon she gasped as she sat straight up and her face drained of color. Putting a hand over her mouth. "No…"

Looking at her when she pulled him from his thoughts, Hiccup blinked. "What is it Merida?"

"Home is…"

Looking toward the horizon he gasped as he went wide eyed and then glared. "Alpha."

Looking at him as tears streamed from her eyes, Merida didn't know if she wanted to rage or cry. "He did this? Are you sure?"

"I am. The ice. That is a bewilderbeast. Come on guys. Faster."

Merida held onto the strap as tight as she could, as Embers went faster and landed in the middle of what would have been the throne room. Sliding off of her she looked around at the destruction as more and more tears fell from her eyes. There were absolutely no signs of life anywhere. "They are….."

Going to her Hiccup sighed as he saw the impending meltdown that was coming and just as she started to get weak in her knees hugged her to him, letting her burry her face in his chest as sobs took her over. He understood this pain. When he nearly lost his father. "I am sorry Merida."

Holding onto him as tightly as she could Merida didn't know what to say or what to do. All she knew was that the people, and the place she was so excited about coming home to see were now gone from her forever. It was nothing but a destroyed mess of rock and no one was there. If someone had been there she knew the second they saw he that they would have ran out to her but nothing at all was going on. "Why?"

"Because he is a damn fool that is miserable and wants to make everyone else miserable. I promise you though I will get him. And now I can just add one more reason as to why I hate him." He then reached down and lifted her in his arms and took her down off the heap of rock and sat down with her as she clung to him crying.

His heart went out to her. Rubbing her back he sighed as after a while he knew he had to get her to hope that someone lived and left her some sort of sign. Or clue to follow. "Come on Merida. I met your parents. I doubt that something like this would get your dad down. Do you? Remember that same dragon attacked my village doing the same thing. And it was all last second, and yet not a single villager was lost. There is hope."

"But no one is here! They would have ran out to me if they saw me and they were alive!"

"Maybe they are but they left and went somewhere else." Hiccup eased her out of his arms and smiled at her as he used a hand to wipe the tears from her eyes. "Come on. Let's see what we can find. If they did leave, I am sure they would have thought to leave you some sort of a clue."

Nodding as she let him take one hand and she whipped more tears with the other she couldn't stop the sobs. She just never thought that something like this was going to happen to her!

Leading her through the mess of stone and ice, Hiccup knew they couldn't stay there but for the night. He would work into the night to try and get her a saddle ready to fly by morning. This was Alpha and the bewilderbeast. And he didn't want her here if they came back. And this would be the first place they would come when they found Alvin in the cell with his dragon.

The next couple of hours, they spent walking around the ruins of the Castle. Hiccup picking up things that he could use for a saddle as they went, but she said she couldn't find anything that looked like something someone would have left. Finally he sat down with her and set to work on a saddle as she sat with Embers a few feet away. He felt sorry for her he really did. He wanted to comfort her more, but he needed to get this done. 'Soon as this is done. I got to do something to make her feel better. I don't know why, but with her being this upset I don't like it. At all.'

Dropping her head even further to hide the tears that spilled from her eyes with her hair she sighed and leaned into Embers some more. She couldn't believe that they were gone. There was nothing there at all that she saw that would make her think that they lived. She was alone in the world. The only one she knew other than her dragon was Hiccup. And even though she loved him, she didn't think he would ever be able to love her. 'Mum. Dad.'

Then she gasped and jerked her head up when the wind blew past it. She could have sworn that she felt a hand lift her head as it did. Looking up she went wide eyed and then without warning and startling the dragon sand Hiccup started to climb to the top of the rubble. It was the tapestry. The one her mother was making! Sticking out of the ground like a flag!

When she reached it she grabbed it and hugged it to her as she let more tears sob. "Mum."

"But this wouldn't have been like this normally right?" 

Shaking her head no as she looked over the tapestry she whipped her tears. "It wouldn't. Someone put this up here." She then began to go over every inch of it. Then when she got to the side by the stick she flipped it around. There was a message carved in it! "Look!"

Looking over her shoulder at the message he smiled. "Well that is good."

"What?"

Pointing to the dragons as they came up behind them he smiled. "To the island where on wings you touch the sky. Berk is the only island I know of where on wings you can touch the sky."

Her eyes going wide she stood up and looked at Embers as she rubbed her nose. "On the wings of dragons. Mum is going to go insane."

"Come on. Let's get down there and finish that saddle. So we can head to Berk first thing in the morning." He then reached out and took her hand, helping her down the heap of stone. Once back down to where the saddle was he smiled as he looked at her, sitting next to him hugging the tapestry to her as she leaned on him. "You all better now?"

"I am. Knowing they are fine is good. Mum would have told me if something happened to me brothers somehow. And she didn't. and in at best three days I get ta see them again."

Nodding as he started working on the saddle he laughed. "So your brothers. You always refer to them as the boys or your brothers. They do have names right?"

"Hamish, Harris and Hubert. In that order they were born. All just minutes apart."

"Ah so they are triplets then. Can they be told apart?"

With a sigh she half smiled at him. "Well Harris can. He is the one I told you lost a couple of fingers. The other two can be by eye color. Harris and Hamish both have the same blue eyes I got. Hubert has Mum's brown."

Looking over at her with a smile he laughed. "So the blue eyes with missing fingers is Harris, the other blue eyes is Hamish and then the odd ball out is Hubert."

"That's it exactly." Merida then looked up at the stars as she sighed. "I know they are going to have a ball on yer island. I am not so sure about mum though. She is probably going insane."

Laughing as he stood up to make sure he got the shape right for Embers Hiccup glanced at her. "If my mom stays true to character, she has probably already got your brothers dragons picked out and names. I just hope that your brother's name them."

Giving him an odd look she blinked. "Why is that?"

"Because of names on Berk. With the exception of three, my mother Valka, my father Stoic and Astrid, everyone else was given some crazy names. Not exactly sure why though."

"Why were you given the name Hiccup?"

Dropping his head with a small laugh he sighed. "I was given the name Hiccup cause I was so small and tiny when I was born. It didn't matter if it was human or animal, the smallest and weakest always got called Hiccup. Because it was a hiccup."

"I don't think that is very nice."

"It is who I am. I am glad I didn't get stuck with other names. Some of my friends, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut and Tuffnut. My dad's best friend is Gobber."

Laughing she nodded as she smiled. "Yes those are crazy names. But I do like Hiccup."

Turning and looking at her, Hiccup felt his blush rise, and saw hers. But neither turned their eyes. Both lost in eyes they thought were more beautiful than any eyes they had ever seen. Without thinking, just acting, Hiccup leaned in closer to her and gently pressed his lips to hers.

Both of them froze at the feelings that surged through them. It was like Thor sent lightning down their spines and they had ice surge through their veins. After a few seconds he quickly pulled his mouth from hers and blinked. "I am sorry I didn't mean…."

Smiling Merida laughed. "I didn't mean to either and I well…" But then both just turned their heads from the other. Neither one saying anything, and thinking that the other must think they were stupid right now.

With now glaring eyes, Toothless and Embers sighed as they laid their heads next to each other. They were starting to act on how they both knew their riders felt. Now they just needed another push and they hoped they got it on Berk.


	10. Chapter 10

Landing on the island, Merida sighed as she slid from Embers and rubbed her back. "I don't think I have ever been in dat kind of a position for that long before. Me back is sore."

Laughing as he too slid off of Toothless, Hiccup shook his head. "Yeah I hear ya on that one. But I am used to it. In time so will you and it will just be second nature."

"I hope that is soon." She then followed him as he walked away from the beach. "Why aren't we staying on the beach?"

"Because we are closer to Berk now. Closer to home, but also in the waters where Alpha may be with that damn dragon." He then pulled his sword and lit it with fire as they walked. "There is a cave here we can get a few hours' sleep on and let Embers and Toothless rest before we finish the final leg on to Berk."

"Right." Merida was nervous in a way. She wanted to ask him about the kiss a day and a half before that. But she also didn't want to make him angry at her for asking. 'I don't know what to do. Mum! I wish I could ask you what to do.'

Almost methodically from where he would spend time away from home doing the map, Hiccup went through the motions of setting up camp inside the cave. But while he went through the steps his mind wasn't on what he was doing. It was on the kiss. He had never felt that same reaction when he kissed Astrid. Not even the first time that she kissed him after they fought the Red Death. But the second his lips touched hers, it was instant electricity. His heart was racing, his stomach felt like it was trying to come up his throat.

The more he thought about it, the more he tried to say that it was just because of what is going on. He saved her, but with Astrid it was probably just a rebound thing and he didn't want to do that to her at all. being pulled out of his thoughts when he heard a giggle he looked over at Merida with Embers.

She stood there looking at the dragon with a smile as she rubbed her head. When she looked at him and smiled then turned back to the dragon his heart went crazy. 'This has to be something more than a rebound. But I just don't….'

"Hiccup?"

Shaking his head he found Merida was there right in front of him. "Sorry I was spacing out. Still trying to figure out what we are going to do once we find Alpha and the bewilderbeast."

Sitting down next to the fire with him she sighed. He spaced out more since they kissed, but hasn't brought it up. So she figured that it was just a spontaneous thing. 'He couldn't be over a six year relationship that fast. I need to just try and forget that it ever happened.'

Once they were settled in, Hiccup kept his eyes on the fire. Though it took him great effort to do so. Every so often he found himself still looking over at the fiery red head that lay on the opposite side of the fire still sound asleep. He knew he shouldn't, but something kept telling him it was more than a rebound. It was more than just because he has spent so much time with her. "But is it really how I feel or is it just because of the situation?"

Feeling a nose on the back of his head he looked back at Toothless and sighed. "Don't give me that bud. I don't know what to do as it is."

When he got another push to the head he didn't even look back. "Look I need to figure it out for myself right now Toothless. Yes I feel more for her than a friend. But I need to know for sure if it is real or just because of what is going on. I won't do that to her. I can't do that to her." Looking back at her peaceful face he sighed with a half-smile. "I don't want to be the reason she cries like I did. I don't want to hurt her."

X

Sitting in her window, Astrid sighed as she kept her head hung. Four more days. She was told that morning that in four more days she was going to become Spider's wife. She hated the thought. The mere thought of him touching her made her skin crawl. But what could she really do? She already agreed to this. And the one person she could always go to when something was bothering her, probably wouldn't even look at her.

Hearing her door she turned and then glared when Spider was standing in the door. "What do you want? Get out of my room."

Sauntering in, Spider kept his creepy smile. "Don't give me that. In five more nights, your room will be my room. From then on."

Having had enough, Astrid turned and stood up as she crossed her arms. "Alright come on out with it Spider. What in the world would you want with a woman that hates your very existence? I mean come on. You don't really think that after we get married that I am going to change and magically fall in love with you do you? What are you playing at?"

Crossing his arms as he walked in a circle around her, Spider half smiled. He had no intention on marrying her. He just had to get her to leave Hiccup, so that he would go off on his own and she wouldn't run off with him. That way the plan would go off without a hitch. In two more days. Two more days, Astrid, and every other person on this damn island were going to die. "What am I planning at? You will see soon eough."

Stomping her foot she reached out and pushed him as she narrowed her eyes. "What are you planning!?"

Leaning into her face he glared harder at her. "Don't do that again Astrid. Or so help me you will regret it one day. Have I made myself clear?"

"No promises."

"Then you will see."

Astrid watched as he left then sat back down in her window and sighed as she crossed her arms. "I hate him. I absolutely hate him." Looking over at Hiccup's she sighed as her eyes half closed. She still could see the look on Hiccup's face as she flew away from him after telling him that she couldn't marry him.

Feeling a rock hit her side she turned a glare down then sighed. Half expecting to see Spider down there, it was Eret. "What do you want Eret?"

"I would like to talk. If you don't mind."

Rolling her eyes she turned and fell from her window and landed right next to him. "If this is about Spider again get off it."

"I can't." His eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms, Eret sighed. "It isn't too late you know. You got four days. You can turn him away and tell him to get lost and see if you can fix things with Hiccup."

Pushing him Astrid glared. "Don't you think I would if I could? You, and Fishgles and Snotlout and everyone think that I just brushed him off to the side. That I walked away from six years of being with him just because. I didn't. I wish I could work things out with him but I don't know if I will ever be able too."

"If you start by telling that creep to get lost then you might have a shot."

"I can't Eret. I wish that everyone would leave me alone. I don't even know all the details just that Mom and Dad were terrified when they told me. I didn't like seeing them like that." Dropping her head she sighed. "Hell I don't even know what the details of the contract are or who they made it with."

Turning away from her with a sigh Eret shook his head. "At least I tried."

"What was that?"

Stopping and looking over his shoulder he sighed. "I talked to Hiccup the second night he left Astrid. I talked to him about this. He said that had you told him you wanted fight it with him and fight for the love he thought the two of you had, he would have done it. But being able to walk away from him without so much as a fight, he didn't know if he could trust you. We have all tried to get you to stand up and fight along with Stoic and Valka and Hiccup. But you refuse every time. I think he is right. He shouldn't trust you anymore."


	11. Chapter 11

It was early evening on the island, Valka, Stoic, Fergus and Eleanor were all sitting outside when Cloud Jumper jumped up looking in the direction that Hiccup should be coming. Valka was on her feet next to him. "What is it Cloud Jumper?"

Then her heart jumped when he looked at her and smiled. "Hiccup!?"

Turning to look along with everyone else as all the dragons reacted to Toothless coming home Valka smiled as she moved to stand next to Eleanor. "Are you ready to see your daughter?"

"I hope he has her."

Crossing his arms with pride when two dragon figures were finally visible, Stoic laughed. "Oh he has her. And it looks like she has a new pet."

X

"There is Berk."

Merida looked down and smiled. "It looks great." But her eyes searched the surge of people that were rushing out. "Looks like they all know you are back."

"Yeah. Once Toothless became the alpha for Berk, they all know when he comes home and lets everyone else know. But look up there on the bluff."

Looking up where Hiccup pointed Merida let tears form. "Mum. Dad. Boys." Then laughed as if she read her mind, Embers flew faster and landed on the bluff right behind everyone. Jumping from her back she ran first to her mother. "Mum!" Then looked up at her dad. "Dad. Boys. I thought for sure when I saw the castle you were all gone."

Letting go of her daughter and watching as she jumped into her father's arms Eleanor whipped the tears from her face. "Everyone survived thanks to your father. Now that you are here, we can all go home and rebuild. Now our family is back together again."

Her eyes going wide Merida shook her head. "We can't yet Mum. Not until Alpha is defeated."

Nodding Hiccup was there next to her with his arms crossed. "It goes deeper than that too. It seems that Alvin is working with Alpha. And one of his dragons is a Whispering Death that has a grudge against Toothless remember."

"So the Outcasts are in it."

Nodding he crossed his arms. "And he has tamed dragons. We don't know what all kinds he has either." Hiccup sighed as looked down as he crossed his arms. "I am going to get Toothless's tail dug out that works with his other half of his tail. I am going to need him to be full out for this."

Nodding Valka sighed. "I wonder how long it will be before they all get here?"

"I don't know. But we will be ready for them. It could be any day now."

Stoic smiled as he put his hands on his son's shoulders. "Son. You know the island and the dragons here better than anyone. This will be your responsibility to keep everyone safe and get everything ready. I have total faith in you son."

"Thanks Dad."

"Hiccup is it then?"

Everyone turned with a mix of glares, but it was Hiccup and Merida that were confused. "Yes. Who are you?"

Laughing as he crossed his arms, Spider took a step closer to Hiccup but then stopped as the Night Fury put himself between them. "I am Spider. Actually I am the one that took your Astrid from you."

His eyes narrowed as a mix of pain and rage flared through his eyes. "I see."

Having to alter his part of the plan Spider would have to go through with the wedding after all. He had to give way, and if they are expecting it, he had to know what they were planning, and he was going to use it against them. They were coming in four days, but if he didn't put a stop to the preparations for at least one day everything was going to go wrong. "Well let me ask you this all mighty Hiccup. How long before you start getting ready for whomever you think is coming?"

Taking a deep breath as he laid his hand on Toothless just as he started to glow blue. "We start planning tonight. We put everything into motion tomorrow. You aren't from Berk. So you won't have anything to do with it."

Narrowing his eyes as he fisted his hands at his side he met Hiccup's glare. "The woman that is to become my wife in four days is part of this island. I will…"

"No. Astrid and her family are part of Berk and will be protected. But because of the situation, even they won't know what is going on."

Pushing her way through the crowd Astrid was fighting back tears and yet glaring as well. "Wait you mean that you aren't even going to tell us what we can do to help?"

Looking at her Hiccup waited for a second. But the same feelings never came. The pain and torment at seeing her walk away from her was just gone. Which told him exactly what was going on with Merida. But he was going to wait until the battle was done and over before he said or did anything when it came to her. Just that much more time to know for sure. "I am Astrid. When the time comes and we are all on the backs of dragons, you can join in and follow suit with someone. But he isn't one of us. He doesn't get to know. To make sure that he doesn't neither do you."

Astrid watched as he started to turn from her and grabbed his arm spinning him around. "After everything we have been through for six years Hiccup you don't even trust me that far?"

"I thought I could trust you with my heart Astrid. If I can't trust you with that. I can't trust you with anything."

"What?"

Turning from her again and headed for his house with Toothless on his heels he sighed. "You didn't even give me a fighting chance to change everything so we could stay together. You walked away from me. I doubt I will ever truly be able to trust anything you say anymore."

Watching as the red head ran up to him and they all went in his house she let tears fall from her eyes. She never thought that Hiccup wouldn't trust her. Never. 'What have I done?'

"Excuse me Stoic The Vast." All eyes turned to Spider as Hiccup and Meridah, along with the dragons vanished into the house. Crossing his arms he sighed. "You agreed that you would marry us when the day came. With the recent events I think that we should speed that day up."

"What?"

Looking at Astrid he sighed and held his hands up. "Well the quicker we do it, the faster it will get done and we won't have to worry about an attack in the middle of our wedding."

"When?" Stoic crossed his arms and sighed. He didn't like this kid. But no matter who talked to her about it, Astrid refused to call it off so he would do it.

"Tomorrow."

Gasping her eyes went wide as she turned on her heel to look at him. "Tomorrow!"

"That's right. You and your mother have worked on the wedding for a few weeks now. We put it to play tomorrow. Unless you are going back on your word Astrid."

Glaring she fisted her hands at her side. "Fine whatever."

X

Hiccup sat by the fire with Astrid and the dragons as he looked in the flames. He couldn't believe that was who she threw him over for. But for some reason, he didn't feel the same pain. He was still hurt because of what she did to him and how. But not like it did before. And he knew it was because of Merida.

Sitting next to him, Merida reached over and laid her hand on his with a smile as he looked at her. His beautiful green eyes held so much emotion right now. "Are you alright?"

"I will be fine. But Merida the fact of the matter is that with something like this I would typically depend on Astrid to help me. I can't do that. So I am going to ask you to help me."

"I forbid it. Not going to happen!" Storming into the house Eleanor was there in front of the two of them with her hands on her hips. "I just got her back she is not going into battle with dragons! "

Glaring up at her mother Merida crossed her arms. "I am going to help him Mother. And you are going to let me."

"I am not!"

"If it wasn't for him Mother I would still be where I was. Locked away in a shack in a cage like a dog. Waiting for who knows what sort of fate that they had in mind fer me. I was being held in the farthest reaches of Dingwald Land! What if they just handed me over to them?"

"Merida you will not be….."

Laying his hand on his wife's shoulder, Fergus shook his head. "Not this time Eleanor. Our daughter may be the princess but she can take care of herself. If she wants to fight with them she can. After all, she is eighteen now and you couldn't stop her if you wanted too."

"That dragon there is the one that took her away Fergus!"

"Embers did it because she was ordered by that huge thing that spits ice Mother!" Standing and going to Embers she hugged her around the head. "I am keeping her you like it or not. And WE are going to fight with him."

"Merida…."

"Between Embers, Toothless and myself not one hair on her head will get hurt. I can promise you that My Lady." Hiccup stood and joined Merida and the dragons with a sigh. "I need her help."

Dropping to sit she rubbed her head. "I think everyone is conspiring against me."

Going to her mother, Merida hugged her from behind with a smile. "Not that Mum. It is just that I am not a little girl anymore. I may be the princess but I am not a little girl anymore. I am grown up now and ready to follow my own path."

"I just don't want to lose you Merida."

"You won't."

"Alright. I am out voted anyway."

Moving to stand with his parents Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "Alright. Straight to business then?"


	12. Chapter 12

Glaring as he looked around at all the activity going on, Spider didn't like this. He was actually going to have to marry Astrid after all and it wasn't even going to slow anyone down. And what bothered him was that the red head that was supposed to be given to Dingwald was there flying back and forth on that damned dragon giving out written orders and then the dragon burned them.

All the while, Hiccup was in the Great Hall barking our orders and getting things ready. And now Astrid was going to find out. They were going to fly off right after the wedding, but instead of going to their 'honeymoon' island he was taking her to Outcast Island. She was going to see just exactly who he was.

"Ready then Spider?"

Turning a glare on Stoic he crossed his arms. "Why aren't they taking part?"

"You wanted to push it up and Astrid agreed. That doesn't mean the rest of the village has to stop what they are doing because of it." His eyes narrowing at him, he crossed his arms. "We don't do that for outsiders."

"Once I marry her I won't be an outsider."

"Yes you will. You will never be one of us."

"Whatever."

X

As she flew Merida felt like she was finally helping Hiccup. Their entire time together, he was always helping her. Even making her a saddle for Embers and helping to lift her up when she thought her family was gone.

But every time she flew past where Astrid stood and waited for her 'wedding' she kept getting a glare from her. She would glare back then go on about her business that Hiccup asked her to do and deliver the orders to everyone by note, then Embers would burn them. One more pass by and the glare was too much for her to take. After she delievered the message to the place he asked her she landed Embers right in front of the glaring blond. "Why do you keep glaring at me? I didn't do anything to ya."

"Because I should be the one doing what you are doing. Don't let it go to your head."

Giving her an odd look, Merida blinked. "What in the world are you talking about don't let it go to me head?"

"Just cause he is having you help him doesn't mean anything other than that." Astrid couldn't help but be jealous of this woman. She didn't think she had a reason too, until Hiccup had her doing things to help him today, and that was to keep her out of the loop of what was going on. Right now she hated her with everything that she had.

Though Merida did so want to tell her that she wouldn't be in her place if she was true to Hiccup, but she knew that the kiss wasn't what it appeared to be. Just a heat of the moment thing and really didn't mean anything. At least to him, or at least she didn't think so. But she wasn't going to let this woman before her know that she loved Hiccup more than she ever could. But it was clear that she was jealous.

Tapping Embers as she turned to go back to the Great Hall, Merida smiled as she shrugged. "I guess you should have thought about that before you walked away huh?" Then she was gone.

X

Looking up as Merida and Embers flew into the Great Hall, Hiccup arched his eyebrow. "What is that look for?"

Sliding down from Embers as she landed and going to stand next to him she crossed her arms. "Well it seems that Astrid is I think jealous."

With a sigh as he shook his head Hiccup went back to his maps of the surrounding islands and how to best utilize them in the battle and the dragons that lived in them. He didn't have time to deal with Astrid and everything with that. "She will have to get over it I guess."

"So where am I going next?"

Pulling over some paper he wrote what he wanted Snotlout and his family to do. "I need you to take this to Snotlout and his dad. Once you leave the Hall go west and circle around to that far side of the island." After he handed her the note he pointed down at the Clan Symbols paper. "They got that on all their houses."

"Right."

X

Standing back with Eleanor and Fergus, Valka smiled as she watched her son. She was so proud of him, and yet, she figured going out to look for that red head was the best thing that could have happened to him with what happened right before he left to go find her. They may not even know it, but she could see it in their eyes when they would look at each other told her everything she needed to know. It looked like Fergus and Eleanor were leaving without their daughter.

"He seems to know exactly what he is doing doesn't he love?" Fergus looked over at his wife as she sat and took in everything. It was odd for her to just sit back and do nothing in a time like this. She was a queen after all. But she seemed to be handling it very well. Though he was sure he would feel better if Merida wasn't flying around on the dragon that took her and participating. But he knew she was a strong woman and being eighteen they couldn't stop her if they tried.

Nodding Eleanor let a small true smile grace her face as she focused on Hiccup. "Indeed he does seem to know exactly what to do. How to utilize the strengths and weaknesses of the island."

"Not just this island. All of the islands. He spent five years flying around on Toothless, discovering new islands and training with him." Valka looked over at Eleanor and sighed as she smiled. "He knows all the dragons. What they can do, what they can't do. He is the best one to do this."

"But I just can't get over how young he is."

Turning back to her son she smiled as Merida once again flew in. "He is the only one who can do this. He is special. He has the heart of a chief, and the soul of a dragon. There is no one better to lead the fight against those that have dragons than someone like that."

X

Jerking away from Spider after he kissed her, Astrid glared at him as angry tears fell down from her eyes. She was officially married to someone she detested with all she had. And lost the best man that she could have ever had.

Giving a whistle, Spider called his Nightmare to him and got on him, pulling a glaring Astrid on with him. "Let's go."

Before Astrid could say anything they were in the air and flying away from the island. Trying to jerk away from him she glared down at the black Nightmare's head as silent tears fell from her eyes.

"Don't feel so bad girly. Soon you won't have anyone back at that island to worry about."

"What?" Astrid started to turn to glare at him but then everything went black and she fell limp in his arms.

With a sigh Spider fixed her so that she was just hanging on his neck. Looking to the side to see the glaring eyes of her Nadder he sighed. "Don't look at me like that you damn beast. You should be watching other things." Then laughed when a net went around her and she fell down into the water bellow. Swooping down he looked at the men on the boat. "Pull her into the boat and knock her out. We will be able to use her in the fight."

"Yes sir!"

With a smile as he watched Storm Fly get knocked out he turned his dragon home. Looking down at Astrid he sighed. "He isn't going to like me bringing you home but when they showed up we had to go with plan b. Too bad Dad isn't going to be around to finally see the Outcasts take over Berk."

"Spider!"

Looking to the side to see one of his men Spider sighed. "What?"

"Why did you bring her with you? You weren't even supposed to marry her just get her to leave Hiccup."

Glaring he growled. "I know that you idiot! But somewhere along the line my father and Alpha screwed up. Yesterday Hiccup and that red head showed up on Berk. I don't know their plans and they are careful not to let me know. Sending secret messages all day. There was no point in staying to try to learn what they were planning."

"I see."

"Just get the men back to the island so we can start planning. I got plans for this one and her dragon to use as a bargaining chip. If we can ground that damned black Toothless, then we might have a shot. If he can't get away from the bewilderbeast or Dad's Whispering Death he is as good as dead."

"Yes sir."


	13. Chapter 13

Opening her blue eyes, Astrid let her head roll to the side as she tried to focus. That was when she realized that she was bound and gagged! Her eyes shooting open she looked all around. She was in a cell!

Forcing herself to sit up on the cot she looked around. Her hands were locked inside some sort of a wooden contraption and her legs were chained together, her hands behind her back. The gag in her mouth.

As her eyes focused with the little bit of light that was coming in through the window she found Spider standing there leaning on the cell door! The sinister smile on his face told her exactly why she didn't like him in the least. He was an Outcast!

Laughing as the realization hit her blue eyes Spider crossed his arms. "You got it honey. I am an Outcast. Well actually the Leader of them now that my dad is gone. Yep I am the son of Alvin."

Opening the door he walked in and stood before her, with a glare as she glared up at him. "Your family was once an Outcast family too. But Stoic's father and your grandparents made amends before Stoic was ever born. However, my grandfather knew that one day we would overcome Berk."

Going to the window and looking out over the desolate piece of rock that they were forced to live on for so long. "Even back then my grandfather knew that one day we would overthrow Berk. And that since my grandmother was already pregnant with Dad, it would be the next generation. Ours. He wanted to make sure I had a wife, or if I was a girl a husband."

Her eyes had tears falling as she listened to him and starred at the ground. Was that the contract? They really agreed to such a thing knowing they were going to be leaving and going back to Berk?

Turning back to her with a glare, Spider half smiled. "I talked dad into letting me chose my own wife, one who would want to see me reach our goal. Not one like you who would do anything to stop me from reaching it. My wedding to you two days ago was nothing more than a way to force you to leave Hiccup."

Laughing at the rage and pain that flew into her eyes he stooped down before her and grabbed her chin making her look into his own eyes. "I can't stand you. I think you are probably the ugliest person in the world. I did this so that he would leave Berk with that damn Night Fury he has. That woman wasn't supposed to be here either. Alpha was gonna keep her and force her to be his. But my dad must of blundered it somehow. So I had to change the way things were going to go. Now I got you and I plan on using whatever feelings that Hiccup may have for you to ground that damn dragon and take them both out at once."

As her eyes filled further with rage Spider laughed then let go of her chin he stood up and walked out the cell. "You and your dragon are our bargaining chips in this battle now. Hope they care enough about you not to let you die." He then stood and laughed as he left her cell and the dungeons. Two more days and everything would be done. Alpha will be there soon and then they were going to Berk.

X

Sitting outside with Embers on a bluff over Hiccup's home, Merida looked down out over the sea. He talked about how he didn't trust her. He said he wouldn't forgive her for what she did so willingly. And yet, she still saw something in his eyes, a pain she knew all to well in them. She wondered if she did try to make a move for him if he would go back to her? But now that she was gone and married, should she herself say anything to him? Or wait and see if she is reading it wrong and let him come to her about it?

"Can I sit?"

Jumping then looking up to see her mother Merida smiled. "Of course Mum."

Sitting down next to her daughter, still not used to seeing her in a skirt to her knees with pant son under it. But the clothes she had on suited her and her fiery spirit that she had. And she saw it. She saw that look in her eyes when she would look at Hiccup. The same look she had with the stable boy that broke her heart. But she also saw the same look in his eyes when he looked at her, not the blond.

Reaching over and resting her hand on Merida's knee she pointed to the stars and sighed. "You remember the wisps right?"

"The willow of the wisps? Yes. Why are you bringing them up again?"

"They lead us to our fate. Your fate was to change the way that DunBroch handled the marriage of the princess. Instead of being forced to marry someone they knew nothing about, they are allowed to find love on their own now. Thanks to you. You started it and your daughter will have that same freedom now." Then she looked up at the stars as she let out a small sigh. "But sometimes fate takes many turns while it takes you to where you belong."

"Mum I know all that but you are starting to talk in riddles." Merida looked at her mother odd then her eyes went wide when a tear fell from her face. "Mum are you okay?"

"I am. But I see it in your eyes sweetheart. When you look at him."

Dropping her head now with sad eyes, Merida let her shoulders slump. "Mum it isn't so simple as just telling him so please don't tell me that is what I need to do." Again, her eyes flashing and seeing Hiccup's face and the hurt that flew into them when that Spider guy told him who he was. "I don't think I could tell him knowing what happened too long ago."

"I think Fate will take a hand in this Merida." Standing again, she turned and headed back to the house. "Just trust in yourself and what you feel in your heart you should do. Not your head." Once she reached the house she turned and smiled as from the side, Hiccup and Toothless landed next to her, and the spark that was in her daughter's eye as she saw him. "I will miss her awful. But I believe that here is where she really needs to stay."

X

Sitting down next to her, Hiccup sighed. Everyone knew what they were going to do. Who was going to get the women who were not going to fight and all the children to safety and where that was. But right now, before the fighting started he had to have a talk with Merida. About the kiss.

Looking over at her and how she looked up at the stars with those perfect blue eyes he smiled then picked up a rock and tossed it down into the water bellow. "Merida…."

"What is it?"

With a sigh as he closed his eyes he dropped his head. "I need to talk to you about the kiss the other day at your castle. You see….." But his eyes went wide when he felt her hand touch his mouth to stop him.

Merida kept her own eyes closed as she kept her fingers on his to keep him from saying anything. "I know what you are going to say and it is alright. I will get over it in time…"

"Stop Merida. You need to let me finish." Hiccup took her by the hand and started to walk away with her along the edge of the bluff. "You have to hear me out okay. From what you said I don't think got it right."

"What do you mean?"

Stopping and looking up at the star filled sky he sighed as he kept holding her hand. "My dad always used to say how I can't run from my fate. Well not always, but since I tamed the dragons and we all made friends with them. But he told me I was destined to take over as chief for him one day but I always believed that fate had another course for me." Turning to her he smiled. "At one point in time I always thought that was going to build a life with Astrid. Then she did what she did. Up until you, I swore I would never find anyone who would heal me."

"Hiccup what are you…."

Touching her mouth with his hand now he looked in her eyes with a serious look. "Before the kiss I had been fighting with myself over you for days. There was something about you that I couldn't put my finger on. And then in that moment a kiss seemed like the natural thing to do, and it happened."

Dropping her head she sighed as she half closed her eyes. "But there is a but in there isn't there."

"There is. But I didn't expect to not be able to get you off my mind because of it. The entire way here from your castle and while we have been working the last two days to get things ready for when Alpha shows up, I tried to focus on Astrid and what we had before I met you Merida." He then reached out and made her look up at him as his eyes half closed as well. "I couldn't get past you half the time to do it. When Spider told me who he was, it did hurt some, but not as bad. When they got married two days ago, and I saw dad come in the Great Hall after it was done it didn't hurt like I thought that it was going too. I didn't even fall for her this fast."

Her eyes going wide as she gasped and kept eye contact with those glorious green eyes of his, she let tears build in the corners of her own. "This fast?"

Nodding as he cupped her cheek he half smiled. "I don't know where this could go. I don't know how it is going to end up. But after a few days of doing almost nothing but thinking about it. I want to see if I am right. And that I have fallen for you and want you to stay here with me."

Blushing now and breathing heavy she couldn't tear her eyes from his. "How are you going to find that out Hiccup?"

"Like this." Hiccup then let go of her hand and pulled her closer to him and leaned down toward her face.

Merida watched as his face came closer and closer to her own, her eyes closing to match his. Laying her hands on his chest a second before once again he gently pressed his lips to her own.

The second their lips touched, both tensed the relaxed when that same bolt of lightning went down their spines. Ice swam through their veins. Their hearts raced. After a moment when he pulled his mouth from hers, Hiccup half smiled at her as he still held her close. "I got my answer then."

"And what is that?"


	14. Chapter 14

"Dragons! There is a mass of dragons headed this way! Hiccup!"

Running out the door Hiccup and Merida glared as Toothless and Embers jumped down from the roof next to him and Merida. "It's time! Get those who aren't fighting out of here! Go Snotlout!"

"I am on it! Let's go Hookfang!"

Jumping on their dragons with matching saddles now, Toothless able to fly on his own, the two took to the sky. Merida looked back to see her parents leading the people toward where Snotlout and the rest of his clan were going to take them to another island to keep them safe.

Looking over at Hiccup she smiled as she nodded to him. "Let's do this."

"Right."

X

Spider laughed as he held a still gagged Astrid in front of him by the ropes that tied her arms behind her back. He then laughed as he pointed toward Hiccup and the red head. "Well look at that. Already in there air he is." Looking down at Alpha he nodded. "I am going to go ground the Night Fury."

"Right."

X

Looking over Hiccup kept his eyes hard as he and Toothless hovered. Here comes Spider! "What the hell is going on there?"

"I don't know but I don't like it. Look at her."

"I know. Come on Eret." Looking at Merida he nodded to her. "Just stay here on the backlines until it is time to let them do what I told you okay? Not until the bewilderbeast shows himself."

"Right I got it. Don't worry about it." As she watched him and Eret fly off she couldn't help but be afraid. Both agreed that after the battle was over, that it would be a trial run for them as a couple. To see if it really is what they think it is, or if it is just infatuation. She knew it wasn't that on her part, and when he would kiss her she could tell it wasn't on his. But she agreed. 'Just don't get hurt.'

X

Her blue eyes pleading as she looked right at Hiccup, who didn't even look at her. Which hurt her worse than watching him cry as she walked away from him weeks ago. 'I have lost him.'

Spider laughed as he sat tall on his Nightmare. All hovering over the water a few hundred yards from the island. "Well well if it isn't Hiccup and Eret."

Glaring, Eret went back and forth between Astrid and Spider. "What the hell is going on here Spider? You damn turncoat."

"Turncoat? Nope. I have always been on the side I was meant to be on. My coming and calling in the contract was just fulfilling my grandfather's plan many years ago. I never wanted her. I had no intention on actually marrying her. But then you showed up when you were not supposed too and ruined that plan."

"What plan?"

"That red head behind you, was supposed to and when this is done is going to marry Alpha. I am Alvin's son and was going to take over Berk and find my own bride. But we used the contract her grandparents and mine had. That their grandkids would marry. Clever really."

"So you used her to push her away from Hiccup so that he would go off on his own…"

"And stay gone and gone and gone until he found her. Then Alpha was gonna kill him and that damned dragon he is on. That was the plan."

Hiccup kept quiet as he listened to the two of them talk. If she would have fought it, they would have figured it out before now and done something different. But she didn't even question it. Perhaps it all turned out better in the end anyway. At least for him, and seeing Eret and his reaction, Astrid still has a chance to be happy.

But right now, he did need to get her away from him, and then find Alpha and the bewilderbeast to end that rein of terror once and for all. "So what was the point in actually going through with the wedding then?"

"I wasn't. Then you refused to let her, her family or me know what was going on. What you were planning so I needed to come up with something else to do. Then it hit me."

"What?"

Grabbing her by her hood and holding her over the ocean he nodded backwards. "They are all ready to fire the second I let her go. You won't be able to get to her in time. She will die. But I will be willing to throw her to you. And let her Nadder go if you agree one tone thing."

"What?"

"Ground your dragon. You stay on the ground with him. Don't fly him."

He knew it! Hiccup knew that something like that was going to come up! Which is why he had the tail he had. All the looks of needing Hiccup to fly, but not really. Looking at Astrid then Storm Fly he sighed. "Fine. You hand her off to Eret, I will land and get off of him."

"Good boy Hiccup. I will toss her over to him and let the Nadder go after I see you off of him."

Hiccup flew back toward the island and glared. "Remember bud. Until we see him, don't fly. Wait until he comes out of the water and then you and Embers can take him out for good." With the gurgle of agreement he landed him and then slid off of him, fixing his leg. "My part is kept. Now yours."

Nodding he swung Astrid then flung her carelessly toward the other rider who dove to catch her with his own Nadder. "Release her dragon."

Craddeling her in his arms, Eret waited for Storm Fly to be released. Once she was up there with him he turned his Nadder around and headed for the ground just behind Hiccup with her. "Are you alright?"

Once the gag was out of her mouth, Astrid looked at Hiccup then gasped and let tears fall when Merida landed on her dragon behind him. "Are they….."

"Yeah."

X

Alpha smiled as he walked off the edge of the boat and landed on the remaining tusk of the bewilderbeast as he rose out of the water. Having defeated and killed three others, he now had his confidence back to fight this little Night Fury. But first he had to tie up the lose ends. "Take them out."

Everyone on Berk gasped and went wide eyed when the dragon turned around and obliterated the ships and people on them. Taking out the Outcasts before anyone could react. Spider flew right toward Alpha as he glared. "What the hell is wrong with you this isn't what we had planned!?"

Looking up at him, Alpha used his own dragon skin cloak like his father's and blocked his dragon's fire blast then held on as the beast he was one slung him into the ice and then let them fall in the water to drown. "My plans are my own."

X

Hiccup glared harder. "Now Toothless! Embers!"

Merida slid from Embers as they both turned up to the sky and shot their fire in the air. "That should clear them out right."

"Eret."

"Got it." Not letting Astrid say anything he lifted her on his Nadder as they flew off with everyone else, Storm Fly following.

"What is going on? Why is everyone leaving!?"

"He has a plan. And I think you know that we aren't part of it."

"But just the two of them with the dragons won't hold against the bewilderbeast and all the other dragons they got! Toothless can't even fly!"

"Stop it! Just stop it Astrid. You know Hiccup always has a plan. He doe snow." Landing on the island he looked around. "Everyone take the saddles off your dragons and let them go!"

"I am going back!"

Grabbing her arm and stopping her from getting on the dragon, Valka sighed. "No you are not Astrid. Hiccup has a plan and you don't know it."

"It wasn't my fault! Spider was an Outcast! I didn't know that! I didn't know any of it until two days after I was forced to marry him, I woke up in a cell on Outcast Island!"

"Even so. You cannot stop or interfere with his plan young lady."

Looking up at Stoic she let tears fall. "I have to help him though and try to make things right if I can."

X

Merida couldn't help but shake as she watched Alpha and the bewilderbeast rise over them like on the cliff that day. Moving to stand behind Hiccup she reached out and laid her hands on his back. 'I hope this works.'

Glaring down at the two, Alpha crossed his arms. "You took my bride you fool. Now you will pay the price. I will kill you. Kill your dragons and then take her from you. I have the last bewilderbeast that there is. He killed the other ones to build up his confidence to come take on your flightless little Night Fury."

"You should know that Toothless didn't fly to defeat him the first time. He stood on a piece of ice and that was it."

"Like I believe that. Not being able to fly he is a sitting duck. Both of them are." Alpha then laughed. "Any last words?"

"Yes. I want you to come down here. Face me like a man, like your coward of a father wouldn't. No dragons. Not dragon skins. Just you and me." Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "Or does the apple not fall far from the tree and his sown have no balls either?"

"You bastard."

"Who is the one on the big dragon and who isn't?"

Jumping and landing on the ground he pointed the hook he used to control the bewilderbeast at Hiccup. "No one insults me like that and gets away with it. I will give you what you want."

"Toss your stick to the side."

"Fine." Flinging the stick a good ways he walked toward Hiccup with a glare. "Let's finish this."

"Now!"


	15. Chapter 15

Gasping as he watched both black and red Night Furies take to the sky without their riders. "What the hell?!"

Standing tall with Merida behind him Hiccup didn't move. All the other dragons were going to be there any second. They would help Toothless and Embers with the bewilderbeast and he would take care of Alpha, once Merida was safely on Cloud Jumper. "You should know who you are dealing with before you assume anything. You only know what you heard about me I presume. Toothless doesn't need me to fly because he has to have me. He wants it that way."

"You bastard!" Alpha then turned to run and get his blade but stopped and went wide eyed when a fire ball hit it and burned it to ash. Turning a glare on Hiccup he narrowed his eyes. "You little bastard. I will show you what happens when you cross me!"

Merida was shaking as she clung to the back of Hiccup. Watching as Alpha stormed closer to her. A quick glance toward Embers, then she was right back looking at Alpha as he stalked toward them. "Are you sure ya gonna be okay Hiccup?"

"I will be fine." Looking up at the sky to see Cloud Jumper flying right at them he smiled. "Here comes your ride Merida. Just remember. No matter what you do stay on him."

"Right."

Hiccup kept his eyes focused on Alpha as Cloud Jumper landed then took off with Merida on his back. "Now she is safe. Let's finish this. Once and for all."

"Oh gladly."

X

A blast of blue fire and then a streak of black. Followed by another blast of blue fire and then a streak of red. Toothless and Embers were quickly wearing down the bewilderbeast. As an alpha and his mate, they were the two that everyone listened too on the island. Well all the dragons at any rate. And they were going to use this to their advantage to not only drive it away from them, but kill it this time.

A loud roar behind them and the flew to get between the beast and their riders and village. A glare on both their faces. They each had each other and someone very special on the island to protect. They could not and would not lose this fight.

Once all but one of the other dragons surrounded the bewilderbeast Toothless gave a mighty roar at the beast to stand down. When it roared back and started to raise up to unleash its ice, they all fired. Fire ball after fire ball screaming through the air to land on on its face.

Toothless and Embers both swooped in along with the Barf and Belch behind them. Embers first, blasting the bewilder beast right in its face making it open its mouth. Then Barf released its gas. Last was Toothless with a glare as he sent the gas into it's mouth the set it off. Taking this monster out just like he and Hiccup did the Red Death. From the inside out. Flying back up with the other dragons he and Embers watched as slowly the wings burned, and patches of the dragon as it dove into the water to try and stop it. But there was not stopping a fire from within like that.

But hearing Merida scream Hiccup's name, both dragons turned and made a dash for the island.

X

"Hiccup!"

Alpha laughed as he sauntered toward the beaten Hiccup. "Did you really think that a tiny little fool like you could do anything against me? Your dragon is probably already dead." But then he heard the roars and looked up to see that the bewilderbeast was nowhere to be seen. "That sorry good for nothing excuse of a dragon. This is your fault!" He then kicked Hiccup in the stomach and sent him flying about twenty feet.

Merida was terrified that she was going to end up watching the love of her life die at the hands of this deranged idiot! As Cloud Jumper came around past the island again, she jumped and rolled then ran to Hiccup throwing herself in front of him. "Hiccup!"

"I told you to stay on Cloud Jumper."

"I couldn't. Not with….'

"Well if it isn't the pretty little red head."

Jerking around Merida was terrified. He was so close to her. A little too close. But she couldn't just let him kill Hiccup. "Just stop it! You lost yer dragon that doesn't mean that…"

"Oh shut the hell up!" Crossing his arms as he towered over her, Alpha shook his head. "You don't get it woman. You are going to come with me, and I am going to kill Hiccup. A fair trade. Stoic let him take my father. I take him."

"You bastard." Hiccup mustered up enough strength to reach up and grab Merida and pull her around behind him. "Don't think that it is going to be that easy. I won't go do so easy as this."

"Oh what do you think you can really do? I mean really? You can't even stand up."

All he did was glare with his dark green eyes. He wasn't about to just let him do what he wanted. No way in hell was that going to happen. "Want to bet?"

"Just back off boy. I will be taking the girl first." Alpha then started to reach out for Merida's hair."

Grabbing Hiccup with all she had, Merida closed her eyes and waited for him to touch her. But she was shocked at what happened next. Looking up when she felt wind blow past her, she and Hiccup both blinked when Toothless and Embers landed and surrounded them in a circle. "I guess they won."

"You bastard. First my father and now the alpha dragon. I swear you are going to pay for this."

On his feet now Hiccup glared. "Not this time. Why don't you change what your family is about? Why do you have to be just as demented as he is?"

"Don't say such things about my father! You have yours! I don't have mine anymore! You little bastard!" Alpha then dove at Hiccup and they rolled.

Merida screamed as she covered her mouth. "Hiccup!"

When they finally stopped Alpha was on top of Hiccup trying to force his knife down at him. Feeling feint, she fell over and landed on Embers.

Hiccup glared up at him as Toothless got ready to fire. "No Toothless. I can do this on my own. Just stay with Merida!" He then focused his eyes. "This is your last chance Alpha. Give it up."

"Never now die you little parasite!"

X

Astrid looked up at Berk where all the dragons were circled and just looking down at something. "I wish I knew what the hell was going on over there!"

"We will know what happened when Hiccup and Merida are back here to let us know it is safe to be there." Valka sighed as she dropped her head and crossed her arms as she walked up next to Astrid. "You do know that, while you do need to make things right again with Hiccup, it will be just as friends right?"

Dropping her head she sighed and closed her eyes. "I know that. And I only have myself to blame. Had I only took a stand when it first happened, then we may have figured out Spider's true reason for coming and the damn contract sooner and then maybe I wouldn't have lost him."

"Perhaps."

"But I can't lose him as a friend too. I can't."


	16. Chapter 16

At a stalemate Hiccup was trying to figure out what he could do to get his oaf off of him. He didn't want too. But he knew he was going to have to kill him to truly end this nightmare so he could finally be in peace. The outcasts were gone, the bewilderbeast is gone, and now he was the only thing left. "I won't lose to you!"

"You can't possibly hope to win!" But then he gasped as one eye closed and he lost focus on trying to run his blade through Hiccup's neck at the sudden pain between his legs.

Taking this chance Hiccup punched Alpha in the gut and then rolled away from him. His eyes darted to Merida who lay on Embers still. And Toothless who came around to get next to him. "You are done Alpha. Just accept it."

Standing up with a glare, Alpha whistled. "I am nowhere near done you little asshole!" He then smiled as he jumped up and an albino Nightmare. "I am far from finished. Far from it!" He then flipped his dragon skin cloak around him as his nightmare caught fire. A pure white flame. "Come on then. If you think you can end me come and do it."

Glaring as he got on Toothless he sighed. "I never wanted to have to kill anyone Toothless. But it looks like we are going to have to this one. I won't lose her. I won't lose you. I will protect everyone! That is what a Chief does!"

Merida opened her eyes in time to watch as Hiccup took to the sky fighting with Alpha on a white Nightmare. "Hiccup!" Covering her chest with her hand she let a few tears trace her face. "Please be careful."

X

"Look up! It is Hiccup!"

All eyes darted to the sky to see Hiccup and Toothless fighting with Alpha on the Mightmare that he had. But it was Stoic who looked down at Valka. "If the bewilderbeast is gone, then he doesn't have control of that dragon. Why doesn't he have Toothless take control of it and be done with it?"

Her eyes glued to the sky, Valka sighed as she took heavy deep breaths. "It isn't his way Stoic. And if Alpha actually managed to make a true bond with that dragon it won't let Toothless take it over so easy. Remember how badly Toothless fought last year?"

"Yeah I do at that. He just better not get hurt."

"Hookfang! You stupid idiot don't get in the middle of it!"

Everyone turned to see Snotlout glaring up as Hookfang joined the fight with Hiccup and Toothless. "What are you talking about?"

"That fool. Hookfang has to be in the middle of everything remember. He probably thinks that he can help with it." Crossing his arms he sighed. "The only thing going for him against that is that its flames can't hurt him since they are the same kind of dragon."

Watching with an arched eyebrow Valka couldn't help but laugh at him. "I don't think so. Hookfang may have a good chance at helping Hiccup."

"How? He is dense."

"The way he is acting. I have seen breeding before remember I lived with them for twenty years. I think the white one may be a female."

X

On Embers and in the sky now, Merida watched with a blank expression as the now three dragons fought as Hiccup and Alpha tried to each knock the other off their dragons. 'Oh please be careful! I don't know what I would do if I lost you.'

X

"Give it up you puny bastard! Your Nightfury can't beat me on her!" But another roar from the side and he looked to see another Nightmare. "What the hell? You thinking Nightmare can talk to Nightmare and help you?"

Hiccup took his lapse of focus on him and flipped the but end of his sword around and smacked him in the head with it as he swooped in. "Not actually I have no idea why Hookfang is up here."

"You will die!" Alpha then turned his dragon to try to go after him but she stopped for a moment and looked at the other Nightmare that was on her tail. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He then smacked her in the side of the head as he stopped her. Letting the others fly on ahead. 'This is pointless. She can't keep up with the Nightfury speed no matter what. But then there is her.' His eyes turned and glared at the red head. "Go get her. Get her now!"

Merida froze as he flew right toward her but Embers stood her ground. "We need to get out of his way!"

Hiccup turned to watch as Embers started to swoop out of his way, thankful for that, but then his heart skipped a beat when Hookfang collided with Embers, allowing the other dragon to grab her by the arms. "Merida!"

With an evil laugh Alpha had his dragon climb. "Higher! Get to the clouds!"

Going after them, Hiccup, Toothless and Embers all glared as they reached the clouds. "Now!"

X

Watching with breathless faces, Fergus, Eleanor, and all the boys were horrified to see that Merida vanished up in the clouds, seconds later by Hiccup. "Merida…"

"Trust in Hiccup. He won't let anything happen to her. You know that."

"I know but that is me girl." Fergus never took his eyes off the clouds. "Me girl is in danger and I can only sit and watch. Do you have any idea how hard that is?"

"I do. When Hiccup and Toothless took on a Red Death to save not only myself but Berk as a whole. It is what changed everyone's way of thinking about dragons. I had to watch this then too."

"Wait! Look!"

Everyone's eyes jerked to see something small falling from the sky, and something a little larger not too far away from it. Holding their breath as streaks of black and red shot toward the larger one.

X

Hiccup held onto Merida as they fell toward the sea. Looking up to see that Embers and Toothless were almost there to them. "Merida! Let go let Embers get you!"

"But!"

"Now!" He then pushed her away from him and smiled as Embers grabbed her and then pulled up. He turned and started to reach out for Toothless but instead watched as a blade lodged into his hand and sent him spiraling away from him. "Toothless!"

"Hiccup!" Merida watched with horrified eyes as a hurt Hiccup crashed into the water followed by Toothless. Flying down just over the water she couldn't see him under the water. "Hiccup!"

A splash nearby made her look to the right. Probably from where Alpha hit in the water. But her focus right now as on Hiccup!


	17. Chapter 17

With her blue eyes never leaving the water where Hiccup and Toothless splashed into the water, she let tears fall from her eyes. "Please Toothless. Get him. Bring him back." Then she let out a scream when she felt someone grab her leg and yank her off of Embers. Looking behind her she started to fight but then stopped when there was a knife to her throat. "Alpha!"

Laughing as he held onto her with a knife at her throat and held onto a piece of wood he started to kick his way away from the island. "Don't get all frantic. Your savior is dead by now and now you are mine." He then turned a glare up to the dragon as it let out a roar. "Course I have no problem killing her if you follow us. Got that dragon?" When all she did was glare but hover again he smiled. "Now. We need to get to land, get another dragon and then head out of here. Hiccup is dead. That was all I needed."

"Like I will just stay with you! You bastard!"

"You got no choice in the matter sweetheart. You try to leave and first place I go is back to your parents and take their heads. Just remember that."

Looking back to Embers she let tears fall as she held onto his arm to keep her head above water. 'Embers. Hiccup. Mum. Dad. Boys. I should have listened and stayed on the island. Now…..'

Laughing as he kept kicking he looked down at her and shook his head. "But now you get to be with a real man. Not some skinny little whimp."

With a glare she elbowed him in the stomach. "Hiccup is more of a man than you could ever be in your lifetime."

"Sure whatever. Think what you want, your fate is sealed."

Cracking an eye open she gasped to see there in front of her, one of the very things that got her and her mother into the mess they were in a few years ago! "A willow of the whisp."

"What?"

"That blue thing. It is a…." But she was cut off as she was grabbed from under water and yanked sideways, the blade of his knife barley scratching the surface of the neck, but enough to make her bleed. Underwater she turned with frantic eyes then grabbed ahold when she was face to face with Hiccup.

Flying out of the water, Toothless was greeted by Embers as he turned and looked down at the glaring Alpha. Hiccup held onto Merida he glared down at him. "You sealed your own fate. Someone with as evil and twisted thoughts as you do could never escape the fate of death. We make our own. You never could."

"You bastard!" He then quickly threw another knife and smiled when it landed in Hiccup's stomach making him double over. "What the hell over you little…" But the four roars around him made him gasp as he looke dup to see even his own dragon turned on him and were all getting ready to fire on him. "Oh shit."

With the dragons now headed for the island, Merida watched as Hiccup's eyes closed as he went limp. "Hiccup!"

The second that they hit the ground, Merida pulled him off the ground and looked at the wound that was bleeding still. "Hiccup come on wake up. Open those eyes. Please." When he just lay there she let tears fall as she looked up at the dragons. "Toothless go get his mum!"

A groan made her looked down to see Hiccup's eyes open. "Hiccup! Just hang on Toothless went to get yer mum."

With a smile he blinked his eyes slowly. "That's good."

"Just don't leave me!" Merida closed her eyes as tears fell from her eyes. "I can't lose you."

With a smile he looked up at her and then sighed. "I won't be going anywhere….any….time soon." But then he let his head fall to the side as he passed out.

Her eyes wide she looked down at him as she touched his face. "Hiccup. Hiccup! Hiccup!"

X

Looking up at the worried roar as Toothless shot out of the sky and landed before her, Valka looked at him odd. "Toothless?" Then she saw the blood on his saddle. "Oh no." She then jumped on Toothless, and turned shocked eyes to Eleanor as she did the same thing. "Eleanor?"

"We don't know if that is Hiccup or Merida. Either way you will need help."

"Right. Hold on."

Toothless then shot from the sky and zoomed around the island and fell to the ground with them, then ran to get on his side with Embers. His green eyes worried as he watched his rider's mother open his shirt.

Looking up at her mother and Valka, Merida's eyes pleaded with them. "He is going to be alright isn't he?"

Looking at the wound Valka sighed. "He should be fine. This isn't deep." She then looked at his hand that still had the knife in it. "That is going to be the problem. We need to get him in the house before everyone else gets here. Help me."

Merida helped Valka and her mother get Hiccup in their house and up in his bed. "What else can I do?"

Sitting down with her sewing kit Valka was focused on stitching her son. "Just stay next to him."

Nodding as she sat on the other side of Hiccup, Merida held his hand as she watched. 'Please be okay.'

"Merida are you alright let me see."

Looking over her shoulder at her mother she blinked. "See what?"

"Your neck. It is bleeding."

Taking her hand and touching her neck with one of her hands Merida felt the little bit of blood. She knew what it was from, but didn't want to tell her mother why. Turning back to Hiccup she sighed as she dropped her head. "That happened when I was trying to keep Hiccup on Toothless after Alpha got him in the gut."

"Enough talking now. Let me focus."

X

Landing and rushing into his home, Stoic and Fergus looked up the stairs when they didn't find anyone around the fire. "Wait here Fergus." But just as he started to go up the stairs Valka and Eleanor turned to come downstairs. "Val?"

"It was Hiccup. He is alright now. Resting. He was hurt in the hand and the stomach. He will need some time to heal, but he will be fine." Then she looked up at the top of the stairs and smiled. "And we left him in good hands."

Sighing as he put his arm around his wife, Stoic sighed. "He will be just fine. You said so yourself. Let's all sit and let him rest."

X

Opening his eyes with a wince of pain in his stomach and hand Hiccup let his head roll to the side to see Merida sitting in a chair with her head laid on his bed. Her hair falling in a crazy mess around her. Pushing himself up to sit he reached out and touched her cheek as he pushed her hair from her face. When her blue eyes opened he smiled. "Hey."

"You are awake!" Jumping to her feet she sat down and threw her arms around him as she buried her face in his shoulder. "I thought I lost you."

His one good hand holding her tightly around her waist, Hiccup sighed. "I thought the same thing." He then eased her out of his arms and looked at her neck. Gently touching the scabbed over scratch. "What about you are you alright?"

Whipping her eyes she smiled as she nodded. "I am. It barely broke skin and it only did that when Toothless pulled me from him." Glancing toward his door she sighed. "Just don't tell Mum. I told her I scratched it trying to hold you on Toothless."

Laughing as he cupped her face he smiled at her. "I can promise that. If you promise to stay here."

Smiling as she leaned into his hand she sighed as she rolled her eyes. "Hiccup nothing and no one will ever get me to leave your side."

Pulling her down to him he smiled. "Good." Then when she was close enough he seared her mouth with his. That same sensation flying through him like it did the first time that he kissed her on their way home.

When he pulled his mouth from hers, she blushed as she sat there holding his hand in her lap. "I was worried you wouldn't wake up though. You been sleeping fer three days."

Laying back down to get the pain off of his stomach, Hiccup winced. "I am sorry about that. Who…."

"Yer Mum."

"I see."

Moving back to the chair she laid her head back on the side of the bed next to him. "Right now you need to rest. We can talk about it later."

"Right."


	18. Chapter 18

A few days later, Hiccup now sat downstairs around the fire with everyone else. They just got done telling them everything that happened, without the fact that Merida had a knife to her throat. With a sigh as he looked from the fire to his dad, he held Merida's hand. "And that is all that happened."

With a gracious smile, Eleanor looked from her daughter to her future son in law. "Well now I see that the Willow of the Whisps have once again helped my daughter to her fate."

Looking over at his wife, Ferus crossed his arms. "Aint no such thing. I keep tellin ya."

Glaring at her father as she crossed her arms, Merida rolled her eyes. "Really dad? You believe in a huge demon bear that ate yer foot but little blue lights is different?"

"That is different! I could see the bear."

"Well we did see them dad. Or do you think I would lie to ya about it? Is that what it is?" Her blue eyes doing battle with her father's as she smiled.

Giving her a worried look, Fergus blinked. "I never said no such thing Merida!" But when all everyone did was laugh he dropped his head then looked back up at his daughter. "On a different matter. Merida are you sure you want to stay here? Really sure."

Nodding she smiled as she looked at Hiccup then back to her parents. "I am. I want to stay here. With Hiccup." Looking over at him again she couldn't help but feel the butterflies in her stomach again as he smiled warmly at her. "This is where I feel like I belong. And besides you are going to have your own dragons to help keep everyone safe."

Looking at her boys and their dragons she sighed. "Indeed. But they are not to be in the castle. They stay in the stables."

Laughing as she finished dressing her son's hand, Valka sat up. "Well that is about all I can do. Just keep getting plenty of rest and don't use it too much for a while and your hand should be healed in a few weeks time. Your stomach maybe sooner."

"Thanks mom."

Though before anyone could say anything they all turned to the door when there was a knock on it. Going to it, Stoic sighed. "What is it Astrid?"

"I need to speak with Hiccup and Merida. Please."

"It's okay dad." Hiccup slowly stood with Merida helping to steady him as he did then took her hand and walked toward the door. Once outside and the door shut behind them he looked at Astrid and half smiled. "What's up?"

With her blue eyes cast down she sighed. She wanted to cry but she wasn't going to let herself do it. "I just wanted to say that I am sorry. I am sorry to you Hiccup for letting someone like Spider drive us apart. And I am sorry to you Merida for acting the way that I was. Even if Spider hadn't been an Outcast, I should have known that at some point he would have moved on to someone else."

"Astrid….."

Holding her hand up Astrid took a deep breath as she kept her eyes down. "I had hoped that I would have been able to fix things like they used to be with us Hiccup. But it is clear that it can't be. I may have lost you as someone to be with. I don't want to lose you as a friend either."

Merida smiled as she pulled a gasp from the girl and hugged her. "It is alright. No hard feelings." When she let her go and stepped back by Hiccup she kept her smile. "I hope we can be friends too. It would be nice to have a girl ta talk to that isn't girly."

"Right."

Hiccup then looked past her to see Eret standing there by Storm Fly. "You know, if you look. You might find someone else too Astrid. You just gotta look with an open mind."

X

The sun was setting, and already all too soon, Merida was saying goodbye to her parents and her brothers. She was thrilled to be starting a life with Hiccup. But bummed she couldn't see them every single day. After hugging her brothers and letting them and their baby dragons get on one of the ships Stoic was giving them, she turned to her Dad and hugged him. "I love you dad."

Hugging hid daughter, Fergus closed his eyes as he smiled. "I love you too Merida. Behave and give them hell."

Stepping back, she smiled as she whipped a tear from her eyes. "You know I will."

Stepping up to her daughter as she reached out and framed her face, in her own hands. "Merida. I am happy that you finally found your true love. Be happy and remember a princess always…."

With a sigh she half smiled. Merida knew what was coming. "Strives for perfection?"

Shaking her head side to side, Eleanor smiled. "No. A princess always strives for happiness. So long as you are happy, you will always be a picture of perfection."

Letting tears flow from her eyes, Merida threw her arms around her mother's neck and hugged her as tightly as she could. "Thanks Mum. Thank you so much. I love you."

"I love you too dear."

"Come on Eleanor. Best be off."

One more hug for her parents, and then Merida and Hiccup stood and watched as her parents sailed away. Looking down at her as he kept his arm around her waist he half smiled. "Last chance to change your mind?"

"Are you tryin to get rid of me now?"

"Not on your life."

"Good." Merida then stood on her tip toes and kissed his cheek. "Because it won't work."

"Good to know."

X

Finding Astrid at the beach, in the half destroyed place that Hiccup made to propse to her in, Eret sighed as he walked toward her. Charcoal and Storm Fly instantly playing. "Astrid?"

"Hey Eret. At least you aren't still looking at me like I am evil." Taking a deep breath as she looked down at the sand she half opened her eyes. "I am just going to need some time."

"I understand that. More than you know Astrid. It is hard to watch someone you have feelings for with someone else."

Looking over at him with a half glare, Astrid crossed her arms. "What? You mean to tell me that you had feelings for someone at some point? Don't believe it."

"It is true. Oh she is beautiful too. A bit of a tomboy but beautiful as the day is long." Laying down in the sand next to her, Eret took a deep breath and sighed it out. "Stubborn as hell too."

"Really? And tell me this Eret do I know who she is?"

"Oh you know her really well. Better than anyone else on Berk does I would bet." Sitting up he looked at her with a smug smile. "Why don't you try to guess who I am talking about?"

"Like I would know. I don't have many friends that are girls."

Laughing as he crossed his arms he looked up at the moon. "Well then it should be easy for you."

"Ruffnut."

"Nope. But the same color hair."

Blinking at him her eyes went wide. "The only one on Berk that has blond hair like she does is….."

"You." Eret saw the shock in her eyes as she looked at him then looked back up at the moon. "It started when you kidnapped me to find Drago. Then I worked with you to get out and get your dragons out. It happened nearly instantly."

"But….." Then she turned away from him as she sighed. "I…."

"Look at me Astrid."

"Why?"

"I want to see something and then you can tell me if you really don't think anything could happen between us I won't bring it up again. Just look at me."

With a sigh as she turned to look at him, with every intention on telling him that she knew nothing could happen she gasped and her eyes went wide when he kissed her.


	19. Chapter 19

Another year has passed. Hiccup and Toothless were helping to build yet another new house. This one though was for Astrid and Eret who just got married just a few days before that. He and Merida had been married now for up close to a year. And she was just about to pop with their first child.

He was elated when she told him she was pregnant. And now she was due any time now. And with Embers there as well, Toothless finally decided that he liked the tail that let him fly on his own. The two of them flying all around the island but never leaving it unless he and Merida were on their backs.

"Hiccup!"

Looking down he laughed. "Sorry Eret. I was just wondering how much longer it is going to take for Merida to have the baby."

"That will come in time. Lower that last sheet and this will be done." Eret then guided the last of the roof into place for him and Astrid. "There. No go check on her yourself if you want."

"I will."

But a roar from the sky made him turn his head. a very excited and yet very nervous looking Embers flew at them. "Merida." Letting Toothless take off they flew to the house that was built just for the two of them and rushed in to find her in bed with his mother there. "Merida?"

Laughing as she held his hand and let one hand lay on her very large stomach she winked at him. "I am alright. In pain but it will be worth it."

"I know that." Sitting down on the side of the bed he reached out and laid his hand on her stomach but pulled it back nearly instantly when she flinched and her stomached rippled. "I am sorry."

"Yeah don't do that. They always move all over the place and don't stop when you touch my stomach."

"They? Still think you are having more than one?"

Nodding as she let Hiccup put a few more pillows behind her head she smiled. "I do. After all. Mum and Dad had three at one time. I say I am having at least twins."

"We will see about that one."

Looking up at her son after checking on his wife, Valka glared. "Don't think you won't be shown up and proven wrong Hiccup. A mother knows. If she says there are at least two babies then there will be at least two babies." Then she sighed as she stood up. "You are clearly in labor but it is just starting. The pain will be harder as it goes. Do you want Hiccup in here or out?"

"I want him with me."

"Alright."

X

"Oh my God that hurts!"

Flinching once again at the sound of her screaming in his ear, Hiccup felt like his hand was going to break she was holding it so hard. "Mom?"

"It hurts like hell but she will be just fine Hiccup." Once again, now late in the night Valka checked on Merida's progress and then gasped as she smiled. "I think it is time."

"It is? I can push?"

"Yes. Let me get some towels and Astrid. She is waiting outside to help. If you are right and you have two, she will be needed."

"Right."

Coming back in, Valka told her to push while Astrid stood off to the side with a towel in her hands ready for a baby.

Merida pushed with all she had. Once. Twice. Three times. Then finally on the fourth she felt some of the pressure leave her as one baby was finally born. "What is it?"

Handing the baby off to Astrid, Valka saw her face and looked to see yet another head crown. "That one is a boy. Hiccup your wife was right. One more time Merida."

Nodding as she bore down with the last bit of strength that she had left, Merida then felt all the pain leave her and a dull ache where the pain was. "That one?"

"A daughter. In one go you got one of each."

Hiccup turned and kissed Merida as he helped her to sit up. "You alright?"

Tears falling from her eyes she nodded as she looked over at Valka and Astrid. "I am fine. I want to see them."

Turning with the boy in her arms, Valka smiled. "Well they both got your red hair Merida. Though your boy got your blue eyes."

Right next to her Astrid smiled down at the girl she held. "And your daughter got Hiccup's dark green eyes."

Merida took her son, as Hiccup took his daughter and they both just looked at them. They were parents now! And they were just perfect.

"Names?"

Looking up at his mother he smiled. "Well we talked about it. And I like the ones that Merida came up with. Not your typical Berk names either."

"What are they?"

Looking down at her boy she smiled. "The name fits him though. His eyes are blue, but more like blue lighting than the blue I have. He is Thor."

"That is a fine name. And your daughter?"

Looking into eyes that mirrored his own he smiled as she smiled back at him. "Merida sort of picked her name out too. Said it was a name that she had always liked and we figured we would go for it if she had a girl. "Kerri."

Looking at her grandchildren, Valka smiled. "Thor and Kerri. I think I like those names."

X

Cracking an eye open, Hiccup looked over to see Merida moving back into place with Thor in her arms. "Hungry again?" Really?"

Laughing as she pushed her shirt down to nurse her son, Merida smiled at him. "He is. According to yer mother, you were just like this. Always hungry."

"I didn't say it was a bad thing ya know." He then let his eyes drift shut again. "You know. This time a year ago I would have never thought that in a years time I would be married to one of the most beautiful girls in the world and father to twins."

"One of?"

"You, my mother, and your mother. Don't think I am going to get them on my bad side." Laughing as he opened an eye and looked upt to see her rolling her eyes he sighed. "But life is perfect ya know. And your parents will be here in a couple of days."

"I know. Life is perfect isn't it?"

Looking up as another cry rang out through the room Hiccup got up and went over to the other bed with his daughter in it and lifted her into his arms. "It is now." Going back to the bed as he held her, and Merida held Thor, they were all content now. "This is perfect."

"Yes it is."

Looking up though when they heard their door fly open Hiccup stood up with Kerri and went to open their bedroom door to find a shocked Valka standing there. "Mom? What happened?"

"I didn't say anything, and neither did anyone else. But once Merida's labor started and you and her were in here all day and night. At some point, Embers just sort of left."

"She left?!" Her eyes wide as she sat in bed Merida was shocked. "Did she come back?"

"She did. She and Toothless were both gone actually. They just got back. You have got to come and see."

Handing his daughter over to his mother, Hiccup went back to Merida as he helped her stand up. "Don't worry. If something bad happened to them, then she would of said so. Let's go see what is going on."

Nodding as she held her son, Merida leaned on Hiccup as they went downstairs and then out the door into the morning light to see the two Nightfuries sitting there waiting on them. Her eyes half glaring she smiled. "Where did the two of you go?"

But when they moved, they were shocked to see that they had eggs! Two eggs! "Hiccup they have eggs!"

"That means two more Nightfuries!"

Taking Kerri back from his mother as the dragons came up to see them he smiled. "Well, everything is perfect now. Right Merida?"

"Oh yes. I thought it was before but it is even better now."


End file.
